Penn Wood Elementary School

Gifted Program

Aquatic Investigations

Indian Run

    Indian Run is located in northern Chester County on the border of Springton Manor Farm County Park.  This jewel of a stream flows into the East Branch of the Brandywine River. The stream provides students with a unique opportunity to study an aquatic system of exceptional quality.  Wild trout, combined with an abundance of class one organisms, provide students with the opportunity to witness a stream which struggles to maintain the quality of life that was once more common of Chester County streams.  Poor land use practices over the years has eliminated the quality of water exhibited by Indian Run from other featured streams.  It is a stream that can be the teacher for all of us in our attempt to be better stewards of our environment.

    We hope to establish projects on Indian Run which will contribute to preservation, education, and appreciation of this special resource.  This fall,  students from five of the West Chester Area School District elementary schools will conduct research on Indian Run.  Our students are able to apply their understanding of watershed issues and knowledge of aquatic indicators to their evaluation of this stream.

                                                                                                                       photos by LynneannWashlick

            Students examine aquatic organisms found in Indian .

 Testing water quality issues  gives students a chance to apply new skills to a real life application.

Sharing discoveries with friends is half the fun!

    A student holds up an example of the incredible caddis fly population found in Indian Run. 

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