Creek Play: A Gateway to STEM and Citizen Science

Abstract

grew up in the hills of Northwest Arkansas during a time when children were expected to play outside from sunup to sundown. I was lucky enough to live on the top of one of the rolling Ozark Mountains. My backyard was both steep and endless. At the bottom of the mountains were a series of forest creeks fed by free-flowing cataracts after a good rain. These valley brooks were a fertile playground for my older brother, my younger sister, and me. We imagined forest homes on the moss-covered outcrops. We spent hours hiding from the summer sun wading, flipping rocks, catching crawdads, and constructing our knowledge of the creatures that called these seasonal waterways home.