BIOBLITZ!

BioBlitz is a 24-hour event in which scientists, volunteers, and community members team up to find, identify, and learn about as many local plant and animal species as possible in the water and on the land around Otter Point Creek and the Bush River at the Anita C. Leight Estuary Center. BioBlitz is a free event held annually and is open to the public. This year it will take place on September 11 and 12, 2010.

BioBlitz consists of sessions throughout the 24-hour period in which scientists focus on one type of habitat or organism. There are sessions on plants, trees, birds, insects, mammals, bay grasses, and fish. Those who arrived early on Sunday morning for the marsh bird session took a kayak trip during a beautiful sunrise over the marsh and saw mallards, wood ducks, eagles, a blue-winged teal, and northern pintails, among many other birds.

Volunteers and visitors can learn about how scientists find organisms to inventory. To attract a huge array of nocturnal bugs, the entomologists set up light traps by shining a light against a white sheet. Visitors can take a boat ride during the bay grass session to measure bay grasses and learn about their importance.

Biologists, ecologists, families, students, school groups, youth groups, teachers, community leaders, and all interested people are invited to take advantage of this excellent opportunity to help locate and identify the various species in the park and learn interesting facts about them. The data collected during BioBlitz is an inventory of species and a description of habitats surveyed. Using the information gathered at BioBlitz, scientists and park managers can identify uncommon species or habitats that may need special care for protection or management.

By participating in BioBlitz, people can experience the biological diversity of the area first-hand. Volunteers and participants are truly needed to help collect data to make BioBlitz run smoothly. By participating in the sessions, people can recognize that they are helping to monitor the plants and animals of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Citizen involvement, such as this, is a great way for people to make a difference in working to protect the bay and the lands that surround it.

Schedule below is subject to change.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS - BioBlitz 2010

Saturday

1-3 p.m. Estuary Aquatics
Seine for tidal fish

1-3 p.m. Snail Trail
Hunt and classify land snails

2-4 p.m. Butterflies
Trap and identify beautiful butterflies

3-5 p.m. Plankton
Collect and examine plankton

3-6:30 p.m. Marsh Plants
Canoe to find and identify vegetation

4-7 p.m. Upland Herbs
Find and identify plants

5-7 p.m. Bugs & Beetles
Trap and identify insects

6:30-8 p.m. Mammal Traps
Set and bait live animal traps

8-11 p.m. Nighttime Bugs
Trap and study nocturnal insects

Sunday

6:30-10:30 a.m. Marsh Birds
Pursue marsh birds by kayak

7-10 a.m. Forest Birds
Explore in search of woodland birds

7-9 a.m. Mammal Search
Check live traps and study animals

8-11 a.m. Bay Grass Hunt
Find and measure Bay Grass beds

8-11 a.m. Wetland Plants
Find and identify wetland flora

9-11 a.m. Herp/Reptile Search
Weather will determine target species

9-12 noon Forest Trees
Locate and identify park trees

More Information

Calendar of EventsView all

Knee-High Adventures09/04/2010 @ 10:30 am-11:30 amLet’s go explore! We will be out and about on our Discovery Trail investigating nature with songs, games and sensory activities.
Ants Go Marching One by One09/04/2010 @ 1:00 pm-2:00 pmAnts are everywhere we don’t want them to be. What attracts them and how do they know where they are going? Discover the wonderful world of ants!
Children's Gardening09/04/2010 @ 3:00 pm-4:00 pmHave fun growing food and flowers here and at home. Enjoy crafts, games, and science disguised as fun, as you learn about seeds, life cycles, and growing food and flowers in a watershed-friendly way.
Nature Tales09/05/2010 @ 3:30 pm-4:00 pmStory time with a nature twist! Come listen to some stories, learn new songs and move like the animals.
The Finton Formula Fun Visiting Scientist Series09/10/2010 @ 4:30 pm-6:00 pmJoin us for exciting hands-on chemistry and environmental science fun, guided by guest scientists from the local community. Topics vary by month. Hurry! Space is limited.