Are you a keen naturalist who would be willing to give up some of your time and expertise to help with the first City Bioblitz? If so, then please read on. If not, you may be interested in coming along for the Bioblitz and putting the dates in your diary.
What is a Bioblitz?
A Bioblitz is an intense period of biological surveying in an attempt to record all the living species within a designated area. Groups of scientists, naturalists and volunteers conduct an intensive field study over a continuous time period (e.g. usually 24 hours). There is a public component to many BioBlitzes, with the goal of getting the public interested in biodiversity. To encourage more public participation, these BioBlitzes are often held in urban parks or nature reserves close to cities.
What is planned?
The proposal is to hold the first city Bioblitz on Highfield campus on the evening of Friday 13 June and between 10.00 and 16.00 on Saturday 14 June. On Friday night there will be bat and moth surveys. On Saturday, there will be a series of organised field trips during the day to sites on the Common and Highfield (to compare and contrast these two very different habitat types). The event is open to local people, as well as staff and students and their families.
Want to get involved?
If you are interested in helping, please send an e-mail to Julia Kendal ([email protected]) and provide details of your area of interest.
We look forward to hearing from you.