Make your own seine net. Be sure to have a buddy with you whenever you go into the water, and tell an adult where you’re going.
Materials
- 3.5’ x 4’ nylon mesh (1/16” mesh)
- 2 broom handles or wooden dowels
- Staple gun and staples
- Needle and thread, sewing machine, or duct tape
Directions
- Hem the 4’ sides of the mesh by folding over and sewing parallel to the edge. You could also just fold duct tape over the edge to prevent it from fraying
- Lay the netting out flat and lay the dowels out along the short sides
- Roll 6” of netting around each dowel and staple. Voilá!
Using the Finished Product
You need at least 2 people to use the kick seine. One holds the seine perpendicular to the current. The other stands about 2’ upstream from the seine and kicks the substrate (soil, gravel, or rocks). Bits of dirt and the invertebrates living inside it will float down and stick to the seine. Bring the seine up out of the water, upstream side up, to see what you netted. It might take a little practice to see the animals, but you’ll soon get the hang of it. Have a bucket full of cold water nearby to hold some of what you find, but make sure to put everything back at the end of the day.