This kit contains all 3 components of water quality, chemical, biological, and habitat of streams.
Become a Citizen Scientist with 'My Backyard Stream'
Interested in borrowing a My Backyard Stream (MBYS) kit? See below for helpful information and what you will find inside your kit.
There are three units to the MBYS kit; biological, physical, and chemical. Each unit includes a folder with instructions.
Once you collect data, submit your findings online at using the “Citizen Scientist Data Submission” button at the top left of the My Backyard Stream page.
Please direct any questions to Jen Bowman, ĢƵ University, at bowmanj2@ohio.edu.
My Backyard Stream Kits
These kits can be used to test biological water quality, chemical water quality, and physical habitat. Various tools and tests also can help students learn more about macroinvertebrates and fish, water quality, and the the substrate material in a stream.
-
Full Stream Kit for Water Quality: Chemistry, Biology, and Physical
-
Biology Stream Kit
This kit can be used to explore more about and identify macroinvertebrates. This kit contains:
- Magnifying container
- Macroinvertebrate classification cards
- Aquatic net
- Bin for aquatic organism capture
- Plastic forceps
- ODNR fish ID booklet
- Contact notebook
- Field notetaking sheets
- Instruction folder: Macroinvertebrate collection, Izaak Walton key to macroinvertebrate, Izaak Walton Save of Stream sheet, Citizen QHEI form
-
Chemistry Stream Kit
This kit contains tools to learn more about chemical water quality, conductivity, temperature and transparency. This kit contains:
- Conductivity calibration solution packets
- Conductivity meter
- Thermometer
- Transparency tube
- 5-in-1 water quality test strips
- Contact Notebook and
- Field notetaking sheets
- Instruction folder: Water Quality 5 in 1, Temperature, Transparency, Conductivity
-
Physical Habitat Stream Kit
This kit can be used to identify the physical characteristics of the stream through measuring the stream bed substrate material and the stream velocity. This kit contains:
- Calipers
- Stopwatch
- Tape measure
- Transparency tube
- Contact Notebook
- Field notetaking sheets
- Instruction folder: Substrate, Velocity, Transparency, Citizen QHEI form
Helpful Links
Student Interactive Online Activities
- List of lessons and a description: Water Quality, Stream Restoration, Aquatic Biology
- Contains a link to Water Sampling Instructions, Field Data Collection Sheet
