Muhlenberg athletes are spending the summer of 2024 enjoying fantastic experiences on campus, in their hometowns, across the country and even around the world. Rising sophomore cross country and track & field runner Ava Lundy helped research the health of local streams.

This summer, I spent four weeks on campus doing research for the environmental science and biology departments. I worked with Prof. [Karen] Tuerk and Dr. [Erika] Iyengar along with nine other students. Our goal was to observe the health of our local streams by examining the aquatic macroinvertebrates that inhabited them.  We observed and took water samples from Little Cedar Creek, then picked through and counted all of the different species of macroinvertebrates we found. By seeing what types of organisms were found, we could determine the health of the stream, because certain organisms are sensitive to pollution and cannot survive in polluted waters. In addition, certain species, such as those that are invasive, thrive in unhealthy environments.

We also collected sediment from the bottom of the stream and sorted all of the different gravel and rocks by mass. This is an indicator of stream health, because a large percentage of finer sediment makes it more likely for invertebrates to suffocate, as opposed to a healthy environment, which has a variety of larger rocks.

Throughout these four weeks, I learned so many new things inside and outside of the lab. We went into different types of water, from shallow, fast-moving streams to deep, stand-still ponds, which was a new and exciting experience for me. We also learned how to use lots of different lab equipment, and even got to drive the Muhlenberg vans to our collection sites. 

Overall, I am so happy I got to experience and be a part of research this summer. It will definitely prepare me for my future because I am hoping to pursue a career in the field of environmental science, specifically working towards the protection and conservation of biodiversity.

These four weeks have given me lots of experience out in the field as well as in the lab. I am happy to be a part of something that contributes to improving the health and biodiversity of our local community, and am not only excited to present this project in the fall but also continue this research for summers to come. 

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