Biodiversity ecological surveys are general surveys used to identify the presence or absence of native plants, fungi,
and animals at a site. They can also be informed by traditional knowledge about an area along with information from Native
language and cultural significance of these plants and animals.
As BES surveys are conducted throughout the year, taxon lists for the BES will vary according to the season and will use quick
reference identification tools (picture cards, descriptions of key characteristics, etc.). This general survey will help to
create a biodiversity profile of a site and will inform conservation activities.
Because a BES is designed to be a general survey, you will not need to record the presence of every species or individual,
even if it is native to an area. In a general survey like this it is far more important to follow the protocol laid out in
this toolkit than to record every organism living on or near your site.
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Getting Started
1. Select a site to study and improve
To get started, invite youth and community members to help you pick a field site that you can study year-round.
Your monitoring area should be easily accessible, have a variety of habitats with native and invasive species, and
have some readily identifiable work that might be done to improve it (e.g., remove trash, pick invasive species, plant
native trees, or build endangered bat or cavity-nesting bird houses).
Your site could be a nearby empty lot, park,
cemetery, schoolyard, or community garden.
It should be a continuous area that can be monitored within an hour.
Make sure you have obtained permission from the landowner to access or work on this site.
Property Access Agreement Form
Materials 
outdoors, plan to bring:
- water
- rain gear
- warm clothes as needed
- first aid kit
- sunscreen
- insect repellent
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2. Record the location &
map your monitoring site
Record the name of your study area or the street address. If a detailed map is not available for your site, it may
be possible to create one using online mapping resources:
Yahoo Maps
Geocode.com
Within your study area, you will want to identify a specific monitoring site that will ideally include a variety of habitats
that can be sampled for native plants and animals. Creating a detailed site map will enable you to find the exact sampling area
and route each time you sample, and will allow other youth and adults to follow the same route even if you are not present.
3. Identify important plants and animals to monitor
It is important to document some basic information about significant native plants and animals and their existence on the field site
you plan to monitor with youth. Where possible, consider choosing a site that has native plants and animals that are culturally
significant and indicators of the health of your community.
To begin, generate an initial list of culturally important native plants and animals to study. You may want to work with an
environmental professional and/or elder to help you identify a list of 20-25 plants and animals that are important to study.
Using your initial list of plants and animals, invite youth to create a Community Field Guide.
Materials
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In addition to working with youth to record known scientific information about native plants and animals, you may also want to work with
cultural specialists, elders, and community members to record traditional knowledge along with Native names and meanings. It is
critical to review (or learn) any cultural protocols for handling plants or being near animals. All of this information can help
inform community members about the importance of an area, conservation practices, and restoration.
4. Create a BES Biodiversity Taxa List and Rapid Identification Card
Using information collected for the Community Field Guide, have students create a one-page reference guide of plants and animals that
are indigenous to your site. You will not need to record the presence of every species at a site; focus on the significant native
species identified in step 3 (Identify important plants and animals to monitor). Create the list Sample
and rapid identification card
using the sample ID card as an example.
Each taxon that you name on the identification card should have a corresponding letter and number. The assigned letter depends upon which of the following groups it falls into: Amphibians & Reptiles, Birds, Fungi, Insects & Arachnids, Mammals, Plants, Snails & Slugs, or Trees.
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