Aquatic Bug Collecting- Can you Help?

[garypullings]

Hello all,

First of all if you don't know me my name is Gary. I am asking for some help from the members of the board and the fly fishing community. My son is in Kindergarten and at the end of April he has a week long learning session on Aquatic insects, fish, and everything water related.

What I am wanting to do is get a collection of Water insect (Bugs) from around the country and or California from Different rivers, boddies of water, Bays or some other body of water that insects live, bread in.

What I will do is purchase the supplies, ie test tube, salution that preserves the insect etc and if I have voluteers I will mail the stuff to them with paid return envelope.

I would like to get at least 30 test tubes filled for the kids and their class.

What would be required of you.

1. find the insects and put them in the test tubes with the preserver solution.
2. what type of insect is it.
3. Where it was from, Ie. upper kings river north fork in kings canyon park, Upper kern river Tributaries etc.
4. write on a seperate piece of paper where it is from, and what type of inscet it is if known. If it was a pumped stomach please state what type of fish it was from and where.

I would love it if some people would be willing to catch some fish and pump the stomachs as well so the kids can see what the fish eat.

What I want to do is label each of the tubes with a number and have a master sheet of what the number is and have the kids place a marker on a map so they can see where the bug came from. The test tube would have a label of what type of insect it is.  I will create the label and place it on the tube.

I would then make pictures of what the insect looks like as an adault. so the kids can see what it looks like when it grows up.

I will be purchasing the supplies this weekend for the collections, and project for my son's class. I am going to purchase at least 100 tubes incase we get more than 35 people so that way incase some one falls out we can at least have each kid be able to place a pin on the map. My son has 30 kids in his class.

The only thing that you will have to provide is your time.

If this sounds like you can and are willing to do this please respond and I will be contacting you when the supplies come in so I can mail the supplies to you.

Depending on where the bugs come from depends on what type of map I purchase. If t is Just California I will purchase a California Map, But if they are from other States I will purchase a US map and get the biggest I can afford for the kids.

[fly addict]

Gary,
Sounds like a great project for the kids. I'm in.
Mark

[garypullings]

I would like to thank all those who have sent in the pm's and offered to help. I ordered all the supplies needed for this project I think. I ended up ordering 3 bottles of bug balmer. 72 vials. and 45 plastic bottles to hold the bug balmer in.

I am waiting for everything to show up then I will put it together and start shipping it out. If you are willing to do mor than one bug and require more vials please let me know. I am going to be paying for shipping to and from so it should only cost you your time. At least that is my goal. I would like to thank you all in advance for assisting. with this.

For those of you that have sent pm's thank you and I just haven't had the chance to respond yet to your pm. I will be getting to you all later this week. Again thank you for being patient with this.

[fly addict]

Would a few like this work.

[Wildman]

I'll collect some bugs from socal locals (and my pond).

[garypullings]

well my vials and my dropper bottles showed up today, waiting on the bug balm then i will start mailinf out hopefully by next weekend if they shoy up.

[garypullings]

I wanted to take a moment to thank you for helping my son James on his class project. I finally received the Bug Balmer (preservative solution) last night and will be putting the kits together for you to help me fulfill. My goal is to have them mailed out by next Friday to every one who is wanting to assist with this project for my son James.

My son goes to Valley Oak in Fresno and I have spoken to his Teacher who stated that they will be doing the water insect part of the Project between May 28 and June 3, 2013.

I am wanting to know how many vials you are willing to fill so that I may send the appropriate amount of Bug Balmer and Vials. Please message me your address so that I may send these kits out to you.


Warm Regards,

Gary Pullings

[garypullings]

here is what the kit looks like.





the lines on the plastic bottles are for each vial completely filled. so the three lines will fill 3 viales.