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Volunteers Needed For Ladybug Research

Last updated on Wednesday, June 4, 2014

(MONROE LAKE) - Ladybugs are the target of the summer research project for Citizen Scientist volunteers at Monroe Lake.

New volunteers are invited to get involved by joining a training session at Paynetown SRA on Friday, June 13, at 7 p.m. (register by June 10) or Sunday, June 22, at 10 a.m. (register by June 20).

Register for either session by emailing jvance@dnr.IN.gov training-date selection, name, phone, and number of people in group or by calling Paynetown Activity Center at (812) 837-9967. The property entrance fee will be waived for registered participants.

"This summer research project is all-ages friendly," said Jill Vance, interpretive naturalist. "It's a great opportunity to volunteer with your children or grandchildren."

Information collected by Citizen Scientist volunteers will be used to build a species inventory for Monroe Lake. It will also be submitted to a larger research initiative, the Lost Ladybug Project, run by entomologists at Cornell University.

This 90-minute training session will provide an intro to ladybug species identification and cover the basics of ladybug biology, where and how to look for ladybugs, how to photograph ladybugs for scientific purposes, and how to record and submit data.

The research period runs through the end of September. Trained volunteers are asked to commit a minimum of four hours to the project (in addition to the training session). Volunteers can set their own schedule, and/or participate in scheduled group-research days.

Paynetown SRA on Monroe Lake (stateparks.IN.gov/2954.htm) is at 4850 South State Road 446, Bloomington, 47401.

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