Toes In the Toe

Each year the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Asheville Field Office helps us host our Toes in the Toe Festival. The event brings nearly every 5th grade student in North Carolina’s Yancey and Mitchell counties out to a river in their community. While at the river, they rotate through a series of stations, such as art, fish, watershed health, and macroinvertebrates. The streams of Yancey and Mitchell counties are a priority area for the Fish and Wildlife Service due to the presence of the endangered Appalachian elktoe mussel.

Photos by Gary Peeples, USFWS

Click on any photo to enlarge.

A pair of students checks their kick seingA pair of students checks their kick seing
A pair of students check their net for macroinvertebratesA pair of students check their net for macroinvertebrates
Amber Kivett helps students with their netAmber Kivett helps students with their net
A student checks her D net for invertebratesA student checks her D net for invertebrates
A pair of students work a D netA pair of students work a D net
A pair of students use a D net on the North Toe RiverA pair of students use a D net on the North Toe River
John Fridell checks a D netJohn Fridell checks a D net
Jade Pierce helps check a net in the North Toe RiverJade Pierce helps check a net in the North Toe River
Crayfish in the South Toe RiverCrayfish in the South Toe River
Checking the kick net for macroinvertebratesChecking the kick net for macroinvertebrates
Amber Kivett pulls animals from the kick seineAmber Kivett pulls animals from the kick seine
Kara Dziwulski helps with animal identificationKara Dziwulski helps with animal identification
Kara Dziwulski helps with a kick seineKara Dziwulski helps with a kick seine
Jonathan Hartsell collects fishJonathan Hartsell collects fish
John Fridell helps students identify invertebratesJohn Fridell helps students identify invertebrates
John Fridell helps identify invertebratesJohn Fridell helps identify invertebrates
Mark Endries helps students identify insectsMark Endries helps students identify insects
Kirk Gardner pulls invertebrate from the netKirk Gardner pulls invertebrate from the net
Kirk Gardner helps with a kick seineKirk Gardner helps with a kick seine
Kirk Gardner helps with a kick seine_Kirk Gardner helps with a kick seine_
Kirk Gardner helps a student with a D netKirk Gardner helps a student with a D net
Students check their D net for animalsStudents check their D net for animals
Student looks for animals in his D netStudent looks for animals in his D net
Student holding a crayfish from the South Toe RiverStudent holding a crayfish from the South Toe River
Steve Fraley talks to students about fishSteve Fraley talks to students about fish
Mark Endries helps students with a kick seineMark Endries helps students with a kick seine
Students fan out across the South Toe RiverStudents fan out across the South Toe River
Students collecting invertebrates in the North Toe RiverStudents collecting invertebrates in the North Toe River
Students collecting animals in the North Toe RiverStudents collecting animals in the North Toe River
Students collect fish in the South Toe RiverStudents collect fish in the South Toe River
Students check their kick netStudents check their kick net
Yancey County students collecting fishYancey County students collecting fish
Turning rocks to collect macroinvertebratesTurning rocks to collect macroinvertebrates
Tressa Hartsell gives instructionsTressa Hartsell gives instructions
Students turning river rocksStudents turning river rocks
Students identify invertebratesStudents identify invertebrates