The GMO Corn Experiment

This is the official experimental protocol for the GMO Corn Experiment.

Please read through the entire protocol before beginning any part of the protocol.
If you have any questions, email support@gmoexperiment.com or call (608) 284-8842.

Assemble the Feeding Stand

1. Take the wood plank and nails out of your experiment kit.
2. Place both ends of the plank on a raised surface with at least four inches of space underneath so the nails do not damage anything when they are driven through the wood.
3. Warning. Adults only. Wear gloves to avoid injury. With the pre-drilled holes as a guide, hammer the nails into the plank until they are flush with the surface of the wood.
4. Turn the feeding stand over - it is ready to add the corn!
5. Start with the bags marked with the number 1 for experiment #1. Once that experiment is complete, use the bags marked with the number 2 for experiment #2. Open only one ear bag at a time to avoid mixing up the ears before you put them on the stand.
6. Some animals prefer ears that are already “open”, so remove a few kernels from the top of each ear if your ears do not have any missing kernels.
7. Optional. If you have a kitchen scale, you can measure the weight of each ear before you put it on the feeding stand. Use the same scale for each weight and record the data in grams.
8. Warning. Adults only. Wear gloves to avoid injury. Carefully and slowly place the base of one ear on a nail and gently push until the bottom of the ear is flush with the wood.
9. Stick the barcode sticker on the side of the board by that ear so it will be visible in your photos. Place the sticker on the smoother side of the wood plank.
10. Repeat with the second ear and barcode sticker from the same experiment.

Register for the GMO Experiment Website and Enter Starting Data

1. Register at GMOexperiment.com by entering the kit number and all the ear barcode numbers in your kit. Log in and follow the instructions to enter your kit information.
2. Click “Start Experiment 1” and follow the instructions to start the experiment.
3. Change the ear positions on the website (left or right side) to match your feeding stand.
4. Enter the type of location and expected animals for where you will place your feeding stand.
5. Enter the street address or other location information for where you will place your feeding stand. Note that we will not share your address. Be as precise as possible. If there is no address, provide a detailed description of where you placed the feeding stand. Include a zip code if possible. You can use your smart phone to find the GPS coordinates (on iPhone, your latitude and longitude can be found in the Compass app).

Place the Feeding Stand

1. Check the weather and conduct your experiment on a day where there is a low chance of rain. Wet corn can quickly grow mold containing toxins that can harm or even kill animals.
2. Observe your yard and choose a location frequented by squirrels, birds, or other animals. You may choose a surface close to the ground or a raised surface such as a planter or wide fence.
3. Make sure the surface is level and that both ears are equally accessible to animals.
4. To prevent animals from knocking the feeding stand over, secure the feeding stand with a small nail (be careful not to split the wood), duct tape, string, clamp, or other method.

Collect Data and Submit Data to the GMO Experiment Website

1. To start the experiment, take a picture and note the time. Get down to the level of the feeding stand when you take the photo. Make sure that both ears are in focus and that you can read the barcode numbers.
2. Enter your observation at GMOexperiment.com.
3. About 24 hours later, take a second photo and note the time. Try to get in the same position as you were for the starting photo. If you notice all the corn is gone in less than 24 hours, you can end the experiment early.
4. Once you finish making observations and enter them at GMOexperiment.com, close out the experiment.
5. As best you can, enter the weather for your 24 hour experimental period. Note if there were any occurrences such as high winds or very cold temperatures that could prevent animals from foraging.
6. Select the type of precipitation (none, rain, snow, etc.).
7. Optional. Enter high and low temperatures in Celsius for your location.
8. Optional. Enter the total precipitation in millimeters for your location. To find precipitation data, go to the National Weather Service and enter your location, then switch to metric (note the NWS site does not work well in Chrome).
9. Optional. Warning. Adults only. Wear gloves to avoid injury. If you measured the starting weights, use the same scale to measure the ending weights of each ear and record the data in grams. If any kernels fall off when you remove the ears from the stand, make sure you include the kernels with their ear when you weigh it.

Additional Data Collection

1. Optional. If both ears of corn have kernels remaining and if the corn did not get wet, you may retry the experiment with the same ears. Start the experiment from the beginning with a new start photo. You may move the feeding stand to a new location before retrying the experiment.
2. Optional. You may take additional photos or other types of data during the 24 hour experiment and add them at GMOexperiment.com. Be careful and avoid moving the feeding stand. Minimize your time near the feeding stand so you don’t scare away the animals.

Additional data suggestions: Take photos at regular time intervals (1 hour, 2 hours) during the experiment to see how quickly the ears are eaten. These can be uploaded to the website like the start and end photos. You can use your observations from the first experiment to plan how far apart to take photos for the second experiment.

The GMO Corn Experiment is a project of Biology Fortified, Inc.
We are an independent non-profit organization dedicated to encouraging science-based discussions in food and agriculture.

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