Count what was observed without claiming a complete inventory

A ten-minute look at one garden patch creates a bounded sample. Write down the area, time and method so readers can distinguish observed variety from a claim about every organism that might live there.

Agree on what counts as a distinguishable kind in this sample. A short visual survey is not a complete species inventory.

A sample has a boundary

Four observed kinds in ten minutes is a sample record.

Define the boundary. Record distinguishable kinds. Describe the limits.

What did the sample leave out? Use labelled photographs.

Unseen organisms have not been proven absent.

Resources

• Draw a Mini Creature Habitat – Open-Ended Drawing Worksheet — Develop a clearly imaginary habitat and annotate its proposed features.

Further reading

• Australian Museum — insects in our gardens

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