About the Project
BioBlitz is a 24-hour event in which teams of scientists, volunteers, and community members join forces to find, identify, and learn about as many local plant and animal species as possible. National Geographic and the U.S. National Park Service are planning a series of ten annual BioBlitzes around the country. –From the official BioBlitz we site.
It all starts a week from today…officially, that is. Ruben and I will be hatching from our sleeping bags, fumbling with the zippers on our tents and pants, and priming the requisite stamina to endure the 1,440-minute species inventory. This year’s BioBlitz is being held in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area in the Santa Monica Mountains, east of downtown Los Angeles. But we’ll begin later this weekend, packing our gear and creating our itinerary before we land in Orange County Wednesday night. (Here’s where we all thank Ruben for cashing in his airline mileage points; he only had to spend $30,000 on his AmEx to earn them.)
Although we are National Geographic Magazine/Society (NGM/NGS) employees, we’re embarking on this trip through our own devices: this site is in no way connected with or sponsored by NGM/NGS. The event is being sponsored by our employer, along with the National Park Service, in collaboration with the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy and California State Parks. The location of the 2008 Blitz—the last one was in Washington, DC’s Rock Creek Park—and our mutual affection for the state left us no alternative but to embark on a small freelance project.
So, this is the first in a series of reports—video, photo, and text—that comprise our project. Fortunately, we've been able to meet with officials from NGS running the event. We’re gaining access to the field studies, will attend the opening welcome dinner for scientists and field workers on Thursday evening, and will be guest-posting on the official blog.
There is strong potential for success with this project. Roughly 100 species-counting field assignments will occur from 10am Friday until noon on Saturday, ranging from plant studies and bird catching to marine life observations at the storied Malibu Pier. After it’s over, we’ll survey the work we’ve accumulated and determine if there are other outlets in which to tell the story. (I’m thinking about CurrentTV right now; BioBlitz is their kind of story.)
The BioBlitz organizers created the program to educate communities about their immediate environments and how to preserve and protect them in this age of superfluous human expansion. It’s a great way to cultivate concern in adults, kids, and local groups about their surroundings. In 2007, 661 total species were found in the DC park. Here’s the breakdown:
Complete Species Tally
Amphibians and Reptiles: 15
Aquatic Invertebrates: 16
Aquatic Plants: 36
Birds: 82
Fish: 23
Fungi: 73
Mammals: 15
Terrestrial Invertebrates: 28
Terrestrial Plants: 218
Terrestrial Insects: 154
Total: 661
Please stay tuned. We’ll be updating throughout the prep process and up to, during, and after the 2008 BioBlitz. Registration is still open for those interested. Check it out.
-j/d (jeff dinunzio)
