Insect Projects

Mosquito Project
Did you know that some species of mosquito are found high in the tree canopy, while others prefer to stay closer to the ground (where we typically encounter them)? That's just one of the things student technicians learned during the summer of 2009 when the Citizen Science Center teamed up with UW-Stevens Point professor Jamee Hubbard to collect mosquito samples on Beaver Creek Reserve property. This project was part of a larger effort to document which species of mosquitoes are in Wisconsin and involved setting up mosquito traps near ground level and in the trees in several habitat types on the property. A group at UWSP's Treehaven Field Station in north-central Wisconsin also collected mosquitoes for the project.

Bee Project
The Bee Project is a volunteer driven initiative to learn more about which species of native bees are present in the Eau Claire area. This project was started by two Citizen Science Center volunteers, Patrick Dotson and Judy Schwarzmeier. Patrick is a honeybee keeper and has always been fascinated by native bees. Judy, an avid CSC volunteer, has a background in the sciences and is curious to learn more about bees herself. The two set off in 2009 to test out methodologies for capturing and identifying native bees. In 2010, they are hoping to refine some of their techniques and move the project forward to a new stage!

Lake Wissota Invertebrate Project
The abundance and diversity of invertebrates (insects, mollusks, crustaceans, worms etc.) play a fundamental role in the food web of an aquatic ecosystem. As part of an ongoing relationship with the Lake Wissota Improvement and Protection Association, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and Xcel Energy, researchers and volunteers from the Beaver Creek Reserve Citizen Science Center are conducting a survey of the invertebrate community of Lake Wissota. The purpose of the current study is to determine how the reduction of winter drawdowns has affected the invertebrate community of Lake Wissota. This study will provide important information that will add to a growing body of research concerning the Lake Wissota ecosystem.

If you'd like to help with any of the insect projects, please contact the Citizen Science Center.