BioBlitz - Is the Leith dirty or healthy? Ask the bugs living in it!

The organisms living in the bed of a stream or river can tell us much about how clean or dirty this stream is. Many of these organisms are excellent bioindicators because they are sensitive to pollution and also reflect the conditions over several months before they are collected. During our walk we will visit several sites at the Water of Leith where we'll collect the aquatic larvae of insect groups such as mayflies and caddis flies. You will learn what these creatures can tell us about how healthy the aquatic community is. After the walk we'll take some of these animals to the Information Centre so we can study them under the microscope—they often look very impressive! Free, bookings essential.