Students hold class knee deep in water

MacMurray biology class takes a trip to state park.


MacMurray biology students took a trip outside the classroom last week to the Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Park. Students assessed species diversity by stepping foot into a stream to retrieve some samples to take back to the classroom.

 Christy Wolovich, assistant professor of biology at MacMurray, took the students on the trip as a new hands-on learning experience for her class. Using nets to collect small organisms, the students can assess the stream. “The overall species diversity is an indicator of the health of a stream,” said Wolovich. “The greater the diversity, the healthier the stream.”

 The Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Park is a 26-square-mile area located in Cass County, IL. It is one of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources’ largest public access areas in the state.