Last weekend, the Nature Guardians chapter set out for another season of exploration and action projects at Shubie Park in Dartmouth. Heather Cray from Dalhousie University joined us for an investigation into the buggy world of wetland ecosystems, as we dug around in the freshwater pools and riparian marshes between Lake Micmac and Lake Charles. We found midges, mayflies, backswimmers, dagger moth caterpillars, blue dashers, meadowhawks, waterstriders, and a dragonfly nymph exoskeleton! We discussed what the presence or absence of some aquatic invertebrates might mean for the water quality in our park, why we might see more or less of certain species over the year, and who-eats-who in the underwater food chain. We learned about how aquatic invertebrates can act as “environmental indicators”, telling us something about the world around us. As the Nature Guardians continue to monitor water quality at Shubie Park, we will remember to watch for these indicator organisms and the information they can give us about the state of our lakes!