Ecology arts and crafts

As an ecologist, the equipment I use is not very high-tech. In fact, most of the tools I use in the field are regular everyday objects I adopt to serve some other purpose. When I was trying to capture mouse tracks on sand dunes, I made track plates using those disposable foil baking sheets with printer toner sprinkled on them...the mice (and other animals) walk across it and leave their little pawprints! Currently I am devising a cage of sorts to keep crabs from eating mangrove propagules that I will be planting...I started cutting up heavy duty plastic mesh but then realized that the quantity I need will weigh 100 pounds and I simply can't take that much mesh to Panama. I thought back to protecting lupine seeds from those hungry mice...bridal veil to the rescue! Bridal veil, or tuile, can be purchased cheaply at any fabric store and is lightweight and allows light to pass through. And, it can be punctured with barbecue skewers to make a semi-sturdy little plant protector. Here it is, with a small basil plant serving as my model:


Let's hope this keeps the crabs from eating my mangrove propagules! There are some voracious crabs in the mangrove forests.