Everyone Is Invited to Join in the S. M.
Mountains BioBlitz
It is called a BioBlitz—a 24-hour
inventory of all living organisms in a given area. This
year the event is taking place in the Santa Monica Mountains on
May 30 and 31 from noon until noon.
The Santa Monica Mountains BioBlitz, part
scientific endeavor, part festival and part outdoor classroom,
is being put together by National Geographic and the National
Park Service in collaboration with the Santa Monica Mountains
Conservancy and the California State Parks agency.
Teams of naturalists, scientists and
volunteers will comb the park’s 150,000 acres, observing
and recording as many species as possible. The public is
invited to participate. Nearly 80 experts have committed to
take part in the endeavor and about 1000 school children
are expected to get their first taste of what environmental
field work is about.
The NPS and National Geographic are
planning a series of ten annual events around the country to
publicize the activities, which are expected to provide
important data about this area.
Last year, the society hosted the Rock
Creek Park BioBlitz in Washington D.C. After 24 hours of
combing the urban park, the participants found 666 species,
plus several more that have not yet been identified.
Paramount Ranch has been designated
the base camp where participants can check in and many
festivities are planned.
At the camp, people can watch scientists
doing round-the-clock research to identify and document species
collected in the field.
Additional activities throughout the day
and night at base camp include talks by experts, displays and
demonstrations, entertainment and children’s activities.
Inventories are being staged simultaneously
at five additional field stations where pre-registered
participants can meet. Areas selected for their varied
ecological conditions include Griffith Park, King Gillette
Ranch, Leo Carrillo State Park, Malibu Pier and Lagoon and
Topanga State Park.
Activities include exploring tidepools,
catching butterflies with nets, searching for hidden
wildflowers in the canyons and observing and catching owls
with nets at night.
The term BioBlitz was coined by a NPS
naturalist during the first such event in Kenilworth
Aquatic Gardens in 1996. Since then the events have been
sponsored by different agencies across the country.
BioBlitz attempts to establish a degree of
biodiversity in a defined area or park. Consequently,
the event must take place over a full 24-hour period since
different organisms are likely to be found at different times
of the day and night.
Following the species count, NPS is
sponsoring what is being called the Celebrate BioDiversity
Festival on Saturday, May 31, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. with music,
including the Banana Slug String Band, talks, displays and an
opportunity to speak with the scientists and watch them at
work.
