How to Patrol - What's in Your Patrol Bag

Below is a list of suggested items to have in your kayak/canoe/boat or paddle board when you patrol. Reach out to Maria or Don if you have questions.

• Patrol Vest (pls wear it on your person so that it stands out while patrolling)

• Personal flotation device

• Map of the zone(s) you are covering (with grid overlay)

• Polaroid sunglasses

• Hat and sunscreen

• 2 x Foam noodles with about 6-10ft of thin rope with 4 oz weight attached

+ small brightly colored stiff plastic flag (that reads “Do not remove …

Possible invasive weed”)

• NH DES laminated ID sheets

• NH DES Aquatic Plant and Algae book …. Highly recommended to get your

edition laminated for waterproofing

• Pens and Post-its for field notes (with water resistant ink)

• Camera (on your cell phone) – consider keeping it in a waterproof bag or

Ziplock.

Download these apps:

(a) Solocator - great for taking photos with embedded latitute and

longitude.

(b) WIX app - multiple blog references at your fingertips

• DES sample bag +/or use Ziplock bags of various sizes

• White trays and/or tennis ball containers to better examine and photograph

samples you've collected.

• Towel

CONSIDER IN ADDITION:

1. Pocket knife or scissors so that you can make a perpendicular cut through the plant and view a cross section of the leaves

2. Magnifying glass, 5x or 10x are recommended

3. Small coin or something for size contrast with sample you are photographing.

4. Small leaf rake for retrieving specimens from lake's floor that are outside of your arm’s reach. Create one with a small garden rake attached to a pole. Or even consider using a 22”-26” extendable back scratcher in a pinch.

5. Small net (like one often used for a fish bowl) to collect any floating plant fragments stirred up by your activity. This is a precautionary move incase your sample is an invasive weed.