Most of a river’s story happens where we rarely look. I first learned about macroinvertebrates (aka macros, river bugs, stream bugs) during a stream survey last semester (more on that later). Once you start noticing them, it’s hard to stop. Rivers read differently. This post is an invitation to look closer, learn a few names, and start understanding what the smallest residents are telling us about the rivers we love. Every illustration you see here was drawn by me as part of