Splatometer.

The day for us to return home from Sheffield.   The morning was a visit to bordergate farm, where the kids enjoyed the play area and we enjoyed watching the kids (Goats this time) butting heads.  This was followed by a lovely lunch at a pub with ArkaneSpark while S looked after the kids.

I intended to do my first survey in some citizen science but not being familiar with the app I didn't start the journey properly.   So I started it at Mainsgill where we stopped for a break.

The principle is simple; you clean your number plate set the app (Bugs Matter) for the journey starting.  When you arrive at your destination, you hold the Splatometer in the centre of your number plate and count the bugs in the squares of the quadrat.  This is all entered into the app which adds to the nation wide data.   The survey is running from June 1st until the end of August.

When you remember what car windscreen were like in the 60s covered in squashed insects it is clear there has been a massive crash in numbers.  Insects are vital to the health and well being of the environment and indeed to our survival.  At least 75% of all our food crops have needed insect pollination.  Much of the rest of the web of nature relies on insects as a source of food.