 Hello, I am Mick and this evening we're going to do one of my favorite tests. The nocturnal insect test is a very simple method of observing diversity and abundance of the insects on your land over time. As a proxy for biodiversity, nocturnal insects are a group that is easy to assess because you don't have to actively look for them. Most nocturnal insects are attracted to light, so by using this method they will just come to you. For the nocturnal insect test, you'll need a head torch, a light source, a wall or light colored sheet of at least 2x1.5 meters to shine the light on, string and pegs to hang your sheet, and a camera or smartphone. First we find a wall or we set up a vertical surface of at least 2x1.5 meters in the area you wish to survey. Select this location on your site map so that you are able to return to it next year. Select an evening that is dry and without wind. One hour after sunset time, switch on the light so it is illuminating the whole surface area for 2 hours. Record a date of insect survey. At the end of 2 hours, take a photograph of the whole surface. Zoom in, look in more detail at the insects and take photographs of interesting species you see. Why not see how many you can identify using resources such as iNaturalist? Upload your photos for further analysis and repeat the test in other areas as necessary. The photographs of the complete surface will be used to calculate how much white area remains after the 2 hours. For time you can expect the amount of white surface to decrease as habitat quality improves.