Strengthening Community- Based Research for River Health and Climate Change Mitigation

1 STREM Project STEP 1 Selection of a Sampling Site STEP 2 Positioning the Kick Net for Kicking the Riverbed STEP 3 Removing the Sample from the Kick Net STEP 4 Sorting, Identifying and Counting The Macroinvertebrates STEP 5 Macroinvertebrates Data Analysis for River Heath Assessment DETAILED MACROINVERTEBRATE SAMPLE COLLECTION PROCEDURES STEP 1 Selection of a Sampling Site Identify sampling sites. [...] For example, upstream (at the river source- where the river originates), midstream (middle of the river as you move downstream), and downstream sites (near where the river discharges to either another river, lake, a wetland or ocean). [...] Plate 2: Demonstration of STEP 2 - Positioning the kicknet (A) and kicking the riverbed (B) for macroinvertebrate sample collection (Photos by Lorine Omondi (A) and Nzula Kitaka (B) ) STREM Project 4 STEP 3 Removing the Sample from the Kick Net Carry the kick net to the stream bank and pour the collected sample into a bucket with water by inverting the net into the bucket (Plate 3A). [...] Sieve the content into a smaller sieve of a lower mesh size (smaller holes) than the kick net and pour the content into a white tray with river water. [...] Plate 3: Demonstration of STEP 3 - Removing the sample from the kicknet (A) and washing of the net (B) (Photos by Nzula Kitaka) 5 STREM Project STEP 4 Sorting, Identifying and Counting the Macroinvertebrates Using a hand lens look carefully through the sample on the tray to pick as many specimens (organisms) as possible.