Back in 2014 we deployed Malaise Traps in 51 Ontario Provincial Parks with the help of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) in a large experiment to assess arthropod diversity. We completed our analysis last year after sorting ~250,000 specimens and putting another ~750,000 through bulk analysis. That was a job indeed! Continue reading “Ontario Provincial Parks Malaise Program Results!”
Beginning to Barcode British Columbia
The summer of 2014 can be said to have been CBG’s busiest field season. Not only was it the final year of the Canadian National Parks (CNP) Malaise Program, but we also focused on concentrated sampling efforts in provincial parks within Ontario and British Columbia (BC). Now that the CNP Program is complete, we were finally able to process some of our BC samples. Continue reading “Beginning to Barcode British Columbia”
A Mite-y Experience
Hi Everyone,
The summer has really flown by in the blink of an eye. Luckily, I feel like I was able to accomplish a lot and learn something new each day I spent at Centre for Biodiversity Genomics. This summer I had a chance to experience both the Ontario BioBlitz in the Credit River watershed, as well as the Bioblitz hosted at the rare Charitable Research Reserve in Cambridge. Continue reading “A Mite-y Experience”
Ontario BioBlitz at Riverwood Conservancy and the Credit River Watershed
It’s that time of the year again – Ontario BioBlitz time! This year we will be surveying the Credit River Watershed. A number of BIO staff along with researchers, students and citizen scientists are volunteering their time this weekend – June 11 and 12th, 2016 – to try to find as many species as they can. The event is hosted by the Riverwood Conservancy this year, in Mississauga at Riverwood Park. Continue reading “Ontario BioBlitz at Riverwood Conservancy and the Credit River Watershed”
DNA barcoding and Malaise traps capture the remarkable diversity in Canada’s National Parks
Hi everyone!
As some of you may know, we here at BIO spend a great deal of our field work sampling in Canada’s beautiful National Parks. In fact, from 2012 to 2014, BIO and Parks Canada partnered up to complete a massive national barcoding project that aimed to map out the country’s arthropod biodiversity: the Canadian National Parks (CNP) Malaise Program. I spent a lot of time planning, organizing, and coordinating this project and am thrilled to finally have results! Continue reading “DNA barcoding and Malaise traps capture the remarkable diversity in Canada’s National Parks”
The Moss Bosses
By Liz Darling (Sears) and Jesse Sills
Hi everyone! Now that the vascular plants of Canada DNA barcoding project is all finished (Read about it here), the team here at the Centre for Biodiversity Genomics has moved on to another group of plants: the Bryophytes. This term broadly encompasses all land plants that do not have any true vascular tissue, which includes the mosses, liverworts and hornworts. Continue reading “The Moss Bosses”
Beetles, Bees, and… Beef?
Back in October, BIO sent out teams to three different museums to collect specimens. Both Connor and Angela have already outlined the details of their trips, so now it’s my turn! Valerie Levesque-Beaudin and I drove up to Montreal (Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue specifically) to visit the Lyman Entomological Museum and Research Laboratory on the Macdonald Campus of McGill University. Continue reading “Beetles, Bees, and… Beef?”
Visiting Victoria
At the end of October, Gerry Blagoev and I flew across the country to visit the Royal British Columbia Museum (RBCM) in Victoria, British Columbia. We were on a quest for specimens! Identified specimens, that is. Most of the time our collections team is busy finding specimens out in the field and preparing them for DNA barcoding. Once they have a sequence, we determine what the taxonomy of our specimen is based on its sequence. But how do we get to the point where we can determine the taxonomy? How do we know this taxonomy is right? By going to the experts! Continue reading “Visiting Victoria”
The Trek Continues Through Northern California
The wildfires continue to rage as I head north. To my relief, none of the trail has been closed while I was hiking through. It is evident, nonetheless, that the flames are close. Smoke often obscures the view of the mountains directly across the valley, sometimes making it challenging to landmark. This part of the trail is extremely dry and dusty, with long water-less stretches returning. Continue reading “The Trek Continues Through Northern California”
Mr. Warne Goes to Washington
For two weeks in October, Jeremy DeWaard (BIO Collections Director), PhD student Jacopo D’Ercole and myself escaped the confines of BIO and Canada, and traveled to Washington D.C. We packed ourselves into a white Subaru around 6:45am and began the plodding 10 hour journey by car to the District of Columbia, a trip that only seems to become real when you hit the border at Buffalo. Continue reading “Mr. Warne Goes to Washington”
