Students use microscopes to analyze their pond water samplings and observe their waterbugs.

Students Investigate Wetlands at Brightwater

A hands-on pond study helps third graders explore ecosystems, biodiversity, and the scientific process

Student Grant Recipients Total: 47

Estimated Award Amount: $325*

Students head outdoors for a full-day science field study at the Brightwater Center, where learning happens pond-side and in the lab. Students investigate Storm Pond and Otter Pond, collecting water bugs, making predictions, and using microscopes to analyze their findings. Along the way, they discover how habitat conditions shape ecosystems and why macroinvertebrates play a key role in the food web. STARS support covers transportation, making this immersive, standards-based science experience accessible to students.

*Total award amount is an estimate. Final numbers will not be available until all receipts have been submitted and projects completed.