Gaylord Bioblitz event scheduled for July 22
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EmailAnswer the call! Bioblitz events help catalog local biodiversity.
Have you ever been on a Bioblitz? Now’s your chance! Join us in Gaylord on July 22 for the third annual Bioblitz!
Bioblitz is a super charged science-based event that invites people to visit a specific area to record the variety of living things, or the biodiversity, of the area. The July 22 event is sponsored by the University Center (U. C.) in Gaylord and answers the call from the National Geographic Society and the National Parks Service for every state to host a Bioblitz in 2017. Bioblitz participants will use the iNaturalist app on their phone or tablet to upload and identify pictures of living things. Using the same app for Bioblitz events around the world allows all the data to be stored in one place, giving participants, as well as scientists, a chance to explore the biodiversity on our planet.
The U. C. Gaylord Bioblitz event will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the portion of Aspen Park that is located directly behind the Gaylord Middle School. The area features a mix of grassland and forestland, which are sure to provide an interesting assortment of living things to find and catalogue! The site for the event is extra special as we’ll be collecting biodiversity data on the stomping grounds of the young Claude Shannon, the mathematician credited with developing the Shannon-Wiener Diversity Index, a commonly used ecological measure of biodiversity.
The U.C. Gaylord Bioblitz features something fun for the entire family! There will be guided nature hikes and expert scientists to help you find and identify some of the more curious creatures and vegetation you might encounter. Games will entertain the kid in all of us, prizes will be awarded for the most species recorded and you will have the chance to learn more about the programs that can help us all work to improve Michigan’s natural resources. Michigan State University Extension and Michigan Sea Grant Educators will also lead scheduled demonstrations on how to collect professional scientific data related respectively to aquatic species and forestry. Register today to attend – or make plans to show up and be a part of the biodiversity festivities!
Schoolyard Bioblitz Events
Bioblitz events are beginning to pop up all over Michigan, especially at schools! Hosting a schoolyard bioblitz is a great way to introduce hands-on and place based learning in your local school. Visit the Michigan Geographic Alliance website find the tools and resources to support your local schoolyard bioblitz that meets Michigan’s Environmental Education Curriculum.
