3: Site Set-Up

Next, you will select and label the plants that you will monitor on a weekly basis. We want to track enough berries that we can get a good idea of what happens to the average berry, but we don’t want them all on the same plant or too close together, because then a single event (e.g., a moose bedding down for a nap) could result in the loss of all the berries even though that is not representative of what is happening to berries in the area. You will select and monitor ONE-HUNDRED berries on a minimum of TWENTY individuals of the same species. The text below describes how to do this. Instructional videos will be added soon!

Because plant monitoring requires that you observe the same individual plants repeatedly, you will also need to mark each plant with a unique label so that you can find it on each visit and so we can track what happens to the berries on each plant. In your start-up kit you should have received metal tags with little pieces of flagging tied to them. The tags are really easy to use: you can write on them with anything (a pen, a pencil, a nail).

Youth groups: Split the class into groups and distribute TWENTY tags among the groups. Each group will label the tag(s) with their group name and with a unique plant name. For example, group 1 might name their plants "Rosie Redcoat" and "Rockin' Rose", and group 2 might name theirs "Billy" and "Bob".

Individuals (one or two people monitoring all the plants at the site): Label TWENTY of the tags with consecutive numbers (e.g., "rose 1", "rose 2") or with unique names.

Getting an estimate of berry density:

We would like to know what the abundance of berries is like in your area. It is best to get this information at the time when you set up your datasheet, but if that does not work you can do it any time before the snow falls and you stop monitoring.

1. Download the "Winterberry Berry Density Datasheet" (on this page) .

2. Find your density hoop (the piece of plastic tubing in your start-up kit). Put the ends together so that they meet but don't overlap, and use a piece of ducttape or strapping tape to tape the ends together.

2. Head to approximately the middle of your site. Look at your datasheet, which already has the # steps and direction of the steps listed for each row. Take the indicated number of steps in the indicated direction and plop the density hoop in front of you. If you are not sure which way is North, you can designate one direction (e.g., towards a hill or a building) “North”, the opposite “South”, etc. The point is to get to random spots (rather than ones you pick as you’re going along).

3. Count the berries for your focal species (the species you tagged) and for any other plant species with fleshy fruits. and record it on your datasheet. If you don't know what something is you can just call it "species A", "species B" etc and take a picture of each species. Count only berries ON the plant (not lying underneath).

4. Take the number of steps in the direction indicated on the next line of the datasheet and repeat. Do this until all 20 rows have been completed.

5. Submit the online Berry Density Form found here: Berry Density Form