Two weeks in, chock full of bugs

​Being one of the interns that are only temporarily involved, I had to catch on quickly to the project and give great effort to help out in my short stay (16 days). Arriving at the start of the project, however, was easier in that I was on the same page as everyone and did not have to play catch up to the rest of the group as the other temporary members would have to jump in when the plans are already in motion. This did mean that I would have to play a part in the “figuring out,” process at the beginning of any project. What the figuring out process involves is first testing to see if what was written down on paper that would theoretically work can be applied in practice to real field data. For all the kinks found in the first week or two, some adjustments are needed to create a successful project. While Professor Jackson is the one to make the important decisions, it was our job to work out the smaller issues that may arise and offer suggestions that may help everything run smoothly.
In the first week at Acadia, we visited all four of our research sites (three on Mount Desert Island, one on Schoodic peninsula) to get a feel for how to effectively use our equipment to obtain quality data as well as setting up the emergence traps. The equipment included dip nets, sweep nets, beat sheets, aspirators, and a dissolved oxygen meter. We did have to work around some rainy weather, which may not be ideal for insect collection but is completely unavoidable and definitely an expected occurrence in Maine. Week two of research was run more smoothly as everything was set up and we were able to get into a rhythm for the fieldwork. However, there were still certain things that needed to be worked out such as the whole citizen science aspect to the project as we were not able to hold any sessions week one. To me, this was my favorite part although I was only able to experience it once. Even after a full quantitative data collection on a considerably hot day, we held a citizen science session and it was great to have other people out in the field with us collecting data. It was great to see such enthusiasm towards our research and being able to show others what it is that we do and how to do it is fulfilling. It might have been the group that we had on the specific day, but it made it seem that the research that we conduct has more purpose than to simply prove a hypothesis. Especially with the big push for scientific communication, I feel that this is a great way to relay information to the public and get the involved in a fun way.
As my last few days on the job are wrapping up, I would like to shout out the commander in chief of the project and thank Professor Jackson for letting me help out and experience the ever beautiful Acadia National Park. I had a fantastic time learning about research first hand as I have never been a part of one before this. I have also never touched more bugs in my life than I did on even one day of quantitative data collection. It is always great to immerse yourself into something that you are not particularly used to and learn something completely new. For my last thought, I want to encourage whoever is reading this to go out and learn more about your local invertebrates! They are essential parts to the ecosystem! 
​
-Daniel Kraemer