Yellowstone Bioblitz sponsored by BSI was a big success!
The Big sky Institute co-hosted the first annual Yellowstone National Park BioBlitz with the Yellowstone Center for Resources in YNP and other partners August 28th and 29th, 2009.
A bioblitz brings the diverse capabilities of local natural historians, professional and amateur scientists, and students together to explore, share findings, and educate the public about biodiversity. It is a 24-hour event in which teams of scientists, volunteers, and community members join forces to find and identify as many local plant and animal species as possible. Participants combed Yellowstone, observing and recording as many plant and animal species as possible.
Bioblitzes represent important contributions to systematic inventory and monitoring programs and can provide basic data needed for resource protection and conservation, which enhances Yellowstone’s abilities to protect resources. Though they do not comprehensively inventory a park’s resources, bioblitzes develop important information on species occurrences, richness estimates, and identification of rare, endemic, and invasive species. Such data address the unfunded inventory needs of parks and are an excellent way to identify and help prioritize possible monitoring needs. Among the hundreds of species counted in each event are surprising discoveries of not only rare species but also species new to the park, county, state, region, and to science. Over 1,000 different species were identified in the 24 hour period and this number will grow as samples are being identified. A final count is expected after the first of the year when all of the data has been tabulated.
The concept of a BioBlitz was first developed by Harvard biologist, E.O. Wilson to catalog organisms around Walden Pond. Many states and other countries have now conducted their own similar events with one of the most publicized taking place in New York’s Central Park where they documented over 800 different species. The project is part scientific endeavor, part competition and part educational event for the public. It is a way for scientists to conduct work in a short period of time that would otherwise be hard to accomplish. It is also a great chance for the public to interact with the scientific community to learn more about the importance of biodiversity and the threats to the loss of biodiversity around the world.
A variety of public events were held on Sunday, August 30th with over 300 people in attendance.
http://www.examiner.com/x-18809-Yellowstone-EcoTravel-Examiner~y2009m8d30-Mo