Creature Survey: Count the Creatures Living in a One-Yard Grid

Download and print the Counting Creatures chart.

Cut four one-yard pieces of string. Locate a grassy area, flowerbed, or other place with vegetation outside, and use the string to mark off a one-yard square.

Find and count different types of insects, worms, or other creatures within the square yard. Be sure to look beneath the grass, on plant leaves, and under rocks.

Consider using a garden trowel to dig up a bit of soil and look for worms. Some creatures you are likely to find include ants, grasshoppers, beetles, and earthworms.

Make a hash mark on your chart for every creature you find. Your child can draw pictures of the creatures, and you can help write in the creatures' names. Use a field guide to help identify any unfamiliar insects.

The bug-counting technique in this activity is not unlike a method scientists use to gauge insect populations. They just study a larger sample area. By counting insect populations in a specific-size plot and multiplying the insect totals by the number of specific-size plots the habitat contains, scientists can estimate insect populations for an entire forest or meadow.

If you need help identifying any of the insects you see in your survey, these websites can help:

• InsectIdentification.org
• Fermilab Insect Database
• eNature

• Insects by Christina Wilsdon (a National Audubon Society First Field Guide)
• Insects by Christopher Leahy (a Peterson First Guide)