What is involved

Taking part in the BFL acid rain study will involve a small amount of extra effort. First, you will cut two squares of cardboard for each site to use as "traps" and get 2 liters of bottled (non-chlorinated) water to dampen the traps. You'll need to make one brief extra visit to each site to place the traps. Then you will count the calcium-rich invertebrate prey species you find under the trap, estimate their sizes using a scale printed on the field form, complete the simple field form, and send it to the Lab for data input and analysis. None of the invertebrate prey should be harmed by the process and none will be collected. You may do the acid rain protocol at as many or as few sites as you like; we are hoping that you'll at least try it at one site and take advantage of this opportunity to help us unravel this scientific mystery by developing another method that can be used by volunteers to monitor the biosphere.

Although the Acid Rain Study is an optional extension of the BFL project, we strongly urge participants to give it a try. By studying additional threats like acid rain, we will be able to make better-informed conservation recommendations to help protect forest birds.