As Christine Murray of the Wildlands Conservancy waded into the high waters of Ontelaunee Creek, she said the macroinvertebrates she was searching for would teach students about water quality.

Helping her collect the small animals for study was Pamela Lagler, both naturalists at the Conservancy.

Five buses brought 200 seventh- and eighth-graders from Northwestern Lehigh Middle School to Ontelaunee Park for the final phase of the Trout in the Classroom program sponsored by Deer Park Natural Spring Water, produced by Nestlé Waters North America.

The program, presented at 247 schools around the country in grades three to 12, was found to be most suitable for middle school students.

Southeast Regional Education Specialist with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Andrew Desko said he thanked the students for their interest in learning about conservation through the program.

He said the state protects the waterways but cannot do it alone.

"We want to keep cold water fresh," Desko said, adding fishing license fees are a funding source for the fish and boat programs.

Murray asked the students what macroinvertebrates were.

After several guesses, one seventh grader said they did not have spines.

Macroinvertebrates are a test of water quality. Some survive in clean water; others can live in a polluted environment.

"What are pollutants?" Murray asked.

She then explained polluntants include fertilizer and pesticide runoff, if there is no stream buffer, oil spills, private septic systems when abandoned, and sewer treatment plants, but the worst of all is a beautiful lawn because of the chemicals needed to keep it that way.

She and Lagler each had a table set up with microscopes to view the captured macroinvertebrates .

Some remained in pans; others were attached to rocks.

The students looked at the animals in a petri dish rather than on slides.

Murray showed a rock with a water penny attached.

She also showed eggs along the side of a rock and said such a rock with ledges forms a condo for macroinvertebrates.

Teacher Doug Kuntz looked at the microinvertebrates in the pan.

"Oh cool, that thing is crawling around," Kuntz said. "That one's big. Look at him go."

The fish began life in aquariums in the rooms of science teachers Kelly Rissell, seventh grade, and Beth Harwick, eighth grade.

They hatched from eggs provided by Deer Park/ Nestlé Waters, which has fish hatcheries on two of its properties.

Eric Andreus, Nestlé natural resource manager, said the teachers worried about keeping the fish alive to the fingerling stage when they could be released.

However, he said nearly twice the number survived this year as compared to last year.

He thanked the teachers, adding the extra work is something they do not have to do.

Twice a year, aquabiologists come out and sample watershed waters.

They check the health of the trout, an indicator species.

"If they decline, we want to know why," Andreus said. "We monitor them to be sure what is upstream is healthy.

"The fact Ontelaunee Creek is already clearing up after five inches of rain is a good indication of its health."

Students were given fish in cups to be placed in the stream. Their next stop was at the old pavilion where they played Brook Trout bingo.

Tyler Wiik said he has been training for the game all year.

The students were given a list of terms that were the answers to questions and filled in the squares on the bingo sheet.

When they had the answer to a question as it was read, it was marked like a bingo number is marked. Danielle Schmidt, the first winner, received Swedish Fish candy.

Among the questions were: What is the Pennsylvania state fish? (brook trout); in what pH range do brook trout thrive? (6 to 8.2); and what levels of nitrates will not stress trout? (10 ppm to 40 ppm).

Teacher Regina Mohr said she likes anything that brings the real world into the classroom.

"It's good when a program is specifically designed for that," she said. "Only 1 percent of wild-born trout survive but raising them in the classroom gives them a better chance of survival."

The predator and prey game gave the students an opportunity to let off steam before returning to the classroom.

The prey (fish) have to run through a gauntlet of predators without being tagged.