Tag Archives: environment

Cobequid Educational Centre – Malaise Trap Practice

Yesterday we looked for a good location for our Malaise Trap.  We found a good location at the corner of the soccer field.  We thought this was the best location because there are trees nearby, it is a fenced area, the grass is short, it is an area that gets a lot of sun, there are flowers nearby, and it is on level ground.  We noticed that there are a lot of bugs/insects in the area already.

Today we practiced putting up the Malaise Trap.   We feel that this was a good team-building exercise.  On Monday we should be able to set the trap up pretty easily.

IMG_4400

Grade 10 Science students

IMG_4389

Grade 12 Science students

Richview Collegiate’s Start and Success

Day 1

The experiment is up and running at Richview Collegiate Institute. The trap has been set up in the school’s central courtyard.  The students have high hopes for the findings in the experiment since the courtyard has not been weeded since June.  In order to create awareness about the project an announcement was read in the morning after the national anthem and information tables were set up and manned during the lunch hour. Over the course of the day three classes were brought into the courtyard to discuss the trapping process. They discussed the purposes, method, and potential uses for the experiment and the trapping process. It was overall a successful start to Richview’s experiment.

Day 2

The experiment has sparked interest throughout the school. Many students have been very curious and have dropped by the courtyard to see the trap and observe what is happening. Two more classes have been taken to see the trap. The experiment provides great learning opportunities and has been used already to discuss method and biomolecules. Daily observations are being taken now to ensure accuracy in the results. The Biology department is excited to see what the future holds for the experiment.

Forest Avenue Public School

We are also very excited about our first experience  with the BIO Malaise Trap Program.  Our grade four class intends to set up our trap in the butterfly garden at the front of the school.  What an amazing opportunity to learn how real world science works to inform us about the world around us!  We look forward to sharing how the experience unfolds for us.

Jack Chambers Malaise Trap Blog

Tomorrow we’re going to set up our school Malaise trap! Our class at Jack Chambers P.S. is really excited. My name is Nabil, and this is the first time our school is doing something like this. We’re going to set up our trap near our school pond, and we can’t wait to see how many and what type of bugs we will find. Tomorrow we will write more about how we set the trap up and how it went.

Bye 🙂

Pack, Stack and Go! Preparing for the School Malaise Trap Program.

This is truly one of the most exciting and busy times of year for staff from all departments at the Biodiversity Institute of Ontario! Preparing for the School Malaise Trap Program requires extensive planning, coordination, organization, and a LOT of tape (with a little luck thrown in along the way).

And here we are! The program packages have been sent out, and shortly, students from 61 schools across Canada will be monitoring a Malaise Trap in their schoolyard for a 2 week period from September 22nd – October 3rd, 2014, in order to assess their local insect biodiversity.

When we mentioned a lot of tape, we meant it! Check out the picture below of our School Malaise Trap Program packages right before they were about to be shipped – 61 packages in total!

2014-09-11 10.32.38

So let us tell you a little bit about how we got to this stage and what can be found in each of these boxes. Each package is 30″ x 14″ x 7″ and weighs approximately 14 lbs. Individual packages will contain a Malaise Trap, which is about the size of a small tent (6 feet tall and 6 feet long), a program information folder for instructors, and a “research in progress” sign which is to be placed on the Malaise Trap once it is assembled. We also include swag, such as buttons and bookmarks, for all of the students involved in the program. Currently, we have 2,526 students enrolled in the Fall 2014 version of the program from 94 classrooms. Literally, this means that staff at BIO must count out the appropriate number of bookmarks, buttons, pens etc… for each student in each of the participating classes! As you can imagine, this process can be quite time consuming so we do our best to start preparing for each program as soon as possible!