From reeling in fish at Glenroy Preserve to exploring the tiny critters that call our streams home, Oxford-area youth and families are experiencing watershed science in exciting new ways. Through private funding and a partnership with the preserve, Stroud Water Research Center is expanding educational opportunities in the Oxford region and engaging the community in hands-on learning.
Glenroy Preserve: An Underused Gem for Outdoor Learning
Glenroy Preserve offers 577 acres of hiking and biking trails, as well as access to the Octoraro Creek — a gateway to the Chesapeake Bay. Until recently, this public resource was underutilized for education. That’s changing.
Since October 2023, the Stroud Center has been hosting fishing programs at the preserve with Girl Scouts of the USA and Scouting America groups.
“Glenroy Preserve is a favorite location for fishing programs,” said David Kline, a watershed education specialist at the Stroud Center, “because participants always catch fish!”
Students caught pumpkinseeds, bluegills, and even some smallmouth bass, sparking conversations about healthy fish habitats.
Bringing Watershed Science to the Community
This spring, the Stroud Center joined Oxford’s First Friday event, inviting families to catch fish in the popular Backyard Bass activity. It was a hit with both children and adults. Some children who stopped by had just visited the Stroud Center a week before during a watershed field study with their school.
Making a Splash at the Oxford Library
This summer brought more opportunities to connect with local learners at the Oxford Library. Family activities included:
- Project WET’s Incredible Journey: following a raindrop’s travels through the water cycle.
- Our Blue Planet from Getting Little Feet Wet: tossing an earthball to discover how much of the planet is covered by water.
- Storytime: Readings of Creek Critters and Animalitos del Arroyo, a storybook by Jennifer Keats Curtis with the Stroud Center, available in English and Spanish.
For the main event the next day, everyone got to see live creek critters, also called aquatic macroinvertebrates, at the Stroud Center’s Watershed Education Mobile Lab. Younger children explored a cloth stream, creating rubbings of macroinvertebrate images they caught by hand. Older children sorted and identified live macroinvertebrates, learning how scientists use them to assess stream health.
It Takes a Village
These programs wouldn’t be possible without strong local partnerships. Many thanks to the Oxford Library staff for hosting engaging events, and to Glenroy Preserve for providing a spectacular setting for outdoor education.
Get Involved: Want to bring your students or youth group to Glenroy Preserve, or host the Mobile Lab for a community event? Email educationprograms@stroudcenter.org for details.
