We got out our fishing nets, put on our flip-flops and marched the children to the river to look for wildlife. Soon everyone was soaking wet and having fun splashing around. Toby, the youngest at three years of age, had the most success as he found two crayfish. We believe they were invasive red swamp crayfish (
Procambarus clarkii). We put one of them into a pot to have a closer look at him. As I approached him with my camera, he reared up and raised his two big claws at me. "Ta-da!" called out Toby! Yes, perhaps the crayfish was showing off his pincers with a fanfare! A few small snails also caught our attention but they didn't stand out as much as the crayfish whose colour and interesting posture really made the trip to the river a memorable experience for parents and kids.
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| Red swamp crayfish / Cranc de riu americà (Procambarus clarkii) |
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| Ta da! |
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| Very small snail |
