Creek Critter Hike gives Beaver County youth a taste of nature

NORTH SEWICKLEY TWP. — Several tents stand in a grassy field near a creek running through a park of the same name. Surrounding the tents are almost 30 small children and parents awaiting the Creek Critter Hike.

This hike’s objective is to find the various creatures that live among the rocks and streams of Brush Creek guided by herpetologist April Claus, who works for and runs Creek Connections, an Allegheny College program that does outreaches just like this.

The Beaver County Library System planned the June 15 outing in Brush Creek Park in North Sewickley Township as part of its Remake Learning Days, a program that promotes fun activities for children each summer.

As a herpetologist, Claus studies “all things that slither and crawl.” After years of doing outreaches like these, she is familiar with stream ecology and the environmental surroundings of the critters she knows well.

A major push for this program is to help kids get outside more. Claus said, “Time in nature reduces anxiety and stress, especially in kids, and even adults.” For 25 years, Claus has been attending parks and schools with Creek Connections to build more inquiry-based and hands-on learning for kids that revolves around being outside.

Courtney Colaizzi, an employee of the Beaver Library System and an organizer of the hike, said, “(The youngsters will learn) everything about stream ecology and how the creek system ebbs and flows.”

Last year, The Beaver Library System planned a similar gathering at Bradys Run Park and hopes to do many more. Colaizzi said, “The library system wants to do more environmental outreaches.”

At around 10:15 on that sunny Saturday morning, a whistle is blown for the children to gather and for the hike to begin. Perhaps the most important part is shared with the children first, safety. Not only for themselves, but for the animals they are hoping to find. Parental supervision, correct shoewear, and the like are all discussed, but Claus also stressed how the animal’s natural habitats should not be grossly disturbed. All animals found were to be placed back in the wild so there was damage to the environment.

Claus teaches the children about the different types of animals they hope to see. Through the use of several models and helpful charts, she shares how to identify the critters and the environments they live in.

With all the necessary information conveyed, Claus leads the group to the riverside at around 10:45 a.m., where the children happily delve into the water with nets in hand to find the critters. Parents and children nearly go a mile upstream to find creatures. For an hour, the quiet creek is filled with eager children splashing in the shallows and swinging with nets looking for anything to bring back.

After about an hour of searching another whistle is blown to gather the explorers and to compare findings. The most common finds were crayfish and mayflies. A baby snake was also found, as were two-lined salamanders, which organizers said was an incredible find.

Claus explained that salamanders breathe through their skin and cannot exist in polluted environments. She said, “The first time I came here (to Brush Creek) 20 years ago, this was not the same creek.”

Claus said sediment runoff from farmers' land will often pollute rivers and creeks, as was the case 20 years ago, but she said now Brush Creek’s health and critters are slowly returning.

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Hunting critters gives Beaver County youngsters a taste of nature