First ever BioBlitz at the DBP
A BioBlitz is “an intense period of biological surveying in an attempt to record all living species within a designated area”. The first BioBlitz was held in 1996 at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens in Washington, DC. BioBlitzes have been carried out in many nature areas since to catalog as thoroughly as possible what species are present at the site. It is meant to be educational and fun and to contribute to the fullest documentation of life at an area, kind of an open ended “treasure hunt”.
On Saturday, May 14, 2022 (our regular monthly workday), we will hold a BioBlitz at the Dayton Bluffs Preserve, our first ever. DBP volunteers and any interested members of the public, will invited to help identify and record as many species of plants and animals as they can at the Preserve.
Anyone can participate and in fact, the more the merrier. We may reach out to high school classes and the general public. No experience or knowledge is necessary. Volunteers can work alone, in pairs or in groups.
The process will start out that morning with explanation of the goals of the event. Then, a basic orientation to use of the iNaturalist App be given. A smart phone is required to use the App. Then our “volunteer surveyors” will strike out wherever they wish looking for any natural things. Trees, plants, birds, rocks….you name it.
At the end of the morning, we will all get together (with appropriate social distancing of course) to review what was seen, in what numbers and by whom. Those results will pooled into a common database that will list everything that was seen. Although anyone participate, use of a smart phone with the App makes identification and recording of results easier.
Our hope is to familiarize all participants with the iNaturalist App, to educate them about the natural things at the DBP, and to get an exhaustive summary of what is here.
Be sure to wear appropriate shoes and bring water while enjoying the morning!
