Colorado Aquatic Species Identification Guide
Pond & River ID Guide for Boulder County
It is nearly summertime and there are many great things to find in the creeks and ponds of Boulder County.
Want to know what those things are? Check out the fantastic aquatic ID guides below.
Thorne Nature Preschool student explores Coal Creek in Lafayette, CO
Downloadable PDF: Key to Life in the Pond
Downloadable PDF: Key to Life in the River
Source: Developed by the University of Washington-Extension in cooperation with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Based on a key developed by Riveredge Nature Center, Newburg, WI.
How to use these guides with kids
Children as young as preschool age can use these guides successfully.
One key is to ask good questions:
Does it look more like the creatures in this section or this section?
Does it have legs or not?
Does it have a shell?
What does the tail look like? How many parts does it have?
Celebrate when you’re able to identify a creature. If you come across something that stumps you, celebrate some more. You can engage your child in solving this mystery with further research and inquiry!
Thorne’s Boulder Preschool and Lafayette Preschool use these guides often as a part of our hands-on, nature-based curriculum.
Thorne Nature Preschool is enrolling now for the fall and we have a few spaces remaining. Ages 3-6, locations in Boulder and Lafayette. Half and full-day options available. Thorne is a Colorado Universal Preschool provider.