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We found a surprise in the woods this morning. The University of Guelph is doing a study of insect DNA across the country and they have installed a trap in our little forest. It’s pretty early in the season for bugs around here, but there was a lot of activity at the trap and more than a few already caught. I wonder how often they will come to collect? Our little forest is the smallest provincial park in Ontario and we often get overlooked. It’s a nice feeling to think that we’re a part of something important. It’s also nice because the path has been cleared so that Jack and I don’t need to scramble up and over anymore fallen trees.
Science in action.
Yay insects! Any idea what they will use the DNA for?
rq, the sign only says that it’s a biodiversity project for flying insects. Our area was hard hit by the emperor ash borer beetle and I wonder if it has something to do with tracking climate change. It used to be too cold in the winters for such things to live here.
That’s a cool find. Insects can tell a lot about an ecosystem’s health, it’s good that there are people monitoring such things.
The biggest concern here at the moment is the Asian hornet, it’s decimating our honey bees. I have a friend who is a beekeeper and last year he was so worried, he had lost almost all of his beehives and had huge drop in honey production. He was on the verge of giving up on something he had just invested so much money and time into. Heartbreaking.