When it comes time to collect the data, it is important to be fully prepared for the field season. Preparation includes:
- Hiring a field crew to collect data
- Obtaining all necessary field equipment, including vehicles
- Establishing a set of communication procedures and an emergency response plan for your field crew
- Reviewing the current Terrestrial Field Crew Data Management Protocol or the Lotic Evaluation and Design Management Protocol and following the protocol(s) throughout the season
- Downloading and testing the data collection software
- Evaluating sample points from the office to determine if they are in the target population and can be sampled
- Ensuring that crews attend training and have a firm understanding of the core methods prior to collecting any data. The type of equipment and training you and your crew will need depends on whether you intend to collect lotic data, terrestrial data or both.
- Planning sampling trips in a way that that ensures proper implementation of monitoring design and field crew efficiency
