State DEC seeks volunteers to collect bugs for water quality research

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is looking for volunteers to collect living specimens to measure the water quality of local streams.

The DEC says over the past 10 years, 31 active wave teams conducted some 1,200 tests, identifying more than 400 high-quality streams across New York.
They say it’s like taking ownership of a stream in your backyard.

DEC asks volunteers to send the bugs they collect to them, so they can try to identify them. You don’t need any previous biological experience.

DEC says documentation can often lead to jump-starting local preservation projects and community planning.