Leech Lake Bug Chasers

On July 17th The Leech Lake annual bug count took place. Each year over the past 5-6 years we have counted the invertebrates that live in the mud at the bottom of our lake. These bugs are the bottom of the ecological food chain and thus can give us an indication of the health of our lake. If these invertebrates are under stress it may give us an early warning that our lake may not be healthy and in need of remedial measures.

An environmentalist from Bracebridge assists us by gathering the bugs in three buckets of mud from the bottom of our lake. Then enthusiastic cottagers sift through the mud and locate these little critters. The environmentalist identifies and categorizes the species. Our goal is 100 bugs from each of the three buckets. From this sample we can compare with other lakes in the Muskoka watershed.

The attached picture show an enthusiastic groups of bug counters deep in concentration.