Participate in the 2nd Annual Bioblitz – October 21/22
A volunteer finds a salamander in the Arboretum during Bioblitz 1, May 2010. (Photo by Christina Doherty)
The UW Botanic Gardens’ second annual Bioblitz takes place from 3 p.m. on Friday, October 21 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, October 22. (The date for the event was switched from September due to scheduling conflicts with other area events.) You’re invited to jump in during those 24 hours and help out. No experience is necessary, just a healthy curiosity. Volunteers will be assigned to a team that includes a specialist. Shifts last two to three hours (see the UWBG website for shift times), and the goal is to catalog every living thing in the Arboretum. The first Bioblitz turned up some fascinating discoveries, including what’s likely a new species of spider.
So why do it again? UWBG Education Supervisor Patrick Mulligan puts it this way: “Going out into the field and collecting data on a single day is like taking a snapshot; it gives you some idea of what’s going on. Going out and collecting data year after year is like making a movie, and it gives you a much fuller picture of what’s going on.” Want to help make a movie? Contact Patrick at 206-543-8801 or simsigan@uw.edu.
