Bill Robinson
BOONESBOROUGH — Kids love to play in water, paint and go fishing.
On Saturday, the Kentucky Riverkeeper, the Bluegrass Rotary Club and the Kidz Konnection Klub gave about 30 youngsters the chance to do all three.
They also got to learn about the ecology of the Kentucky River, which provides drinking water for nearly half a million residents of central Kentucky and also is the home to numerous aquatic species.
As the children visited the Kentucky River Museum at Fort Boonesborough State Park, the Kentucky Riverkeeper unveiled a fresh-water aquarium that simulates the habitat of one of the river’s tributary creeks.
The youngsters took turns peering into the aquarium’s transparent walls to view the layers of sand that forms a creek’s bed and catch a glimpse of some of the species that live in and along the stream.
Bluegill minnows and darters, along with other small fish, glided through the water as shiny mussel shells reflected the sun’s light. Water-penny beetles also enjoyed their watery home as the children peered wide-eyed at them in their habitat.
The aquarium, which the Riverkeeper created with grant funds, contains no live mussels, said Julie Badgett, an aquatic educator with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. Most mussels are endangered species, and federal law prohibits their removal from their habitat.
Other species may become endangered if their habitats are degraded, the children were told.
“The aquarium gives museum visitors a chance to marvel at the creatures of the stream and make the connection that their good health reflects the health of our community,” said Pat Banks, who heads the Kentucky Riverkeeper organization.
“Harming the river harms more than just creatures and plants that live in and around the water we harm ourselves as well.”
The Bluegrass Rotary Club provides regular support to both the Kidz Konnection Klub and the Kentucky River Keeper, said Skip Moore, Rotary president.
Later, Badgett and Jamie Alton, another DFWR educator, took the children in two shifts to the river for a fishing lesson.
With an emphasis on safety, they were shown how to cast a line and reel in a catch.
Then, they got to try their hand at being anglers. For some of the children, it was their first time to go fishing, said Rodney Pratt of the Rotary Club.
A fisherman who was heading home showed the fish and wildlife educators a small turtle that had been snared by a fishhook. After giving the children a close look at the reptile, the hook was removed and it was returned to the water.
Back on the riverbank, the children were served a picnic lunch and given an art lesson by Banks, who also is a widely acclaimed artist.
The children painted fish and other water-related species.
Bill Robinson can be reached at brobinson@ richmondregister.com or at 624-6622.
