Imagine discovering a species of butterfly that exists nowhere else in the world except the Arb.
The possibility of discoveries like this, together with an increased awareness of local biodiversity and environmental stewardship, motivates participants in the National Coordinated BioBlitz Project (NCBP) at Nichols Arboretum, now in its second year.
The free event will take place 11 a.m.-4 p.m. April 10 at the Nichols Arboretum, Washington Heights entrance.
During the BioBlitz, groups of volunteers and students will converge on the Arb, collaborating with professional and amateur naturalists to inventory over a specific period of time as many organisms as possible living within the Arb’s borders.
Coordinated by the student organization Strategies for Ecology Education, Diversity and Sustainability (SEEDS), the NCBP strives to bring awareness to the general public about the importance of their region’s biodiversity.
The NCBP’s goal, says coordinator Zack Brym, is to have all 50 SEEDS chapters running BioBlitzes simultaneously in the future. The BioBlitz itself, Brym notes, is a great way to harness community support for current environmental issues.
“Many folks have heard of global warming and the need for clean energy, but don’t understand what those issues mean for them personally,” Brym says. “Having an investment in local biodiversity helps people make that connection.”
The BioBlitz also presents a unique opportunity for students toward the end of a busy semester, says Bob Grese, director of the Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum. “It’s a great occasion for students to take a break from their studies and contribute to the long-term protection of the Arb, a university and community treasure.”
EarthTrek, a citizen science organizer, is providing Web space for the NCBP to organize campuses, distribute information to the public and register species identifications from campus events that will be compiled in a searchable database.
For more information on the BioBlitz at the Arb, contact Brym at [email protected] or go to www.goearthtrek.com/BioBlitz/BioBlitz.html.
