If you are studying a rural environment, try to use landmarks that are relatively permanent, such as large trees or rocks, not branches or other less permanent markers that could change easily or blow away. Now, that you have your basic path, you need to figure out the width of the path, remember we are going to study everything 10 meters to the right and 10 meters to the left of the path. To do this, measure out 10 meters and mark the beginning and the end of this 10 meters. Next, walk the ten meter distance and count the amount of steps it takes to go from the beginning to the end. This will allow you to figure out how far off the base path you need to go, just pace out the steps from the base path.
Consistency is crucial in any scientific study.
Once your path is established, stick to it throughout the project. Establish a regular schedule for collecting data. Keep to your data collection schedule.