Support citizen science in the Carp Hills!
Sunday, 20 August at 10:00 am.
At the Crazy Horse trailhead on March Road.
Registration is required.
Due to the poor weather forecast, we have moved this event to Sunday morning, 20 August at 10:00 AM.
Join Mike Nash in collecting samples at the Crazy Horse Trail beaver pond for environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis.
We will meet at the trailhead on March Road. After hiking to the beaver pond, we will walk around the trail loop and assist Mike in collecting samples at various locations using a bucket on a rope. We will combine the samples and then concentrate the suspended solids using a syringe and filter. Mike will seal the filter in a plastic bag and we will hike back out to the trailhead. We expect to take about 3 hours.
The hike will also include highlights about the flora and fauna along the Crazy Horse Trail as interpreted by Friends of the Carp Hills.
Participation is limited to 10 people. Should more than ten register, priority will be given to those who have donated to the project and to our members.
Participants will need bug spray and should consider wearing a bug net. It’s inconvenient, but it’s worth it for science!
Since 2021, Mike has undertaken a citizen science project to learn about the efficacy of using eDNA to study biodiversity in the Carp Hills. Using eDNA can help identify the presence of species that would otherwise be difficult to find like fish, aquatic organisms, invertebrates, bacteria, amphibians, reptiles, and even mammals.
Mike’s presentations on 2021 and 2022 sampling results are available for viewing on our YouTube channel. See Casting a Net for DNA and Casting a Wider Net for DNA.
Learn more: Carp Hills eDNA Project.