Participatory Science Project

Participatory Science Home

Methods

Every year volunteers led by Charlie and Sue Staines go out and use a variety of sampling techniques, including sweeping vegetation, pitfall traps, flight intercept traps, checking under logs, peeling bark from fallen branches, and sampling aquatic habitats with net and flotation techniques. 

  • Charlie Staines and Erin Allen bend over and peel back parth to look for beetles.

    Volunteers Charlie Staines and Erin Allen search for beetles by peeling back bark on a downed tree. 

  • Charlie Staines walks through a clearing swinging a bug net through the vegetation.

    Charlie Staines uses the sweeping method to find beetles on short vegetation.

  • Charlie Staines holds white cloth underneath a green-leaved branch and hits the leaves with tools.

    Charlie Staines uses the "beating" method to get beetles on a branch to fall into a sheet he holds underneath. 

  • A Malaise trap set-up on dead grass and leaves. It black fabric suspended similar to a tent - held up with metal poles.

    A Malaise trap for insect collection. The set-up encourages insects to move up and into a central collection area underneath the fabric. 

  • A hite bed sheet hangs on a string between two trees at night with a black light shining on it in the middle

    A black light on a white sheet is used at night to survey for beetle species.

  • Charlie Staines uses a dip net (net on the end of a long wooden poll) to search for beetles in the water.

    Charlie Staines uses a dip net to survey for species on or in the water.