WILLIAMSBURG— The Colonial Soil and Water Conservation District is hosting a ‘BioBlitz’ on July 20 at New Quarter Park.
A ‘BioBlitz’ is a communal citizen-science effort to record as many species within a designated location and time period as possible. The BioBlitz hosted at New Quarter Park will be the first of its kind in the Williamsburg and Yorktown area.
Amanda Whispell, education and outreach specialist for the Colonial Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD), helped to organize the first event for the region.
“It’s very difficult as an individual to go into a park and try to get as much information as we can on the park. The idea came about as we were seeing other people besides us that were inputting data, and we thought about hosting this event to get more people in the area we want to observe,” Whispell said.
On July 20, from 8 a.m. until noon, several organizations whose efforts relate to conservation will be on-hand to educate the public. Bird walks, plant walks, insect walks, and tree walks that led by subject matter experts are also planned. And, individuals are also welcome and encouraged to get out and log whatever information they can.
“As participants explore the park’s different habitats, they are encouraged to observe and document any living organisms they encounter and to upload their photographs to a specific iNaturalist project using the iNaturalist mobile phone application. All of these photographs and notes will be stored in the iNaturalist database and the data will then be available to scientists and to the park,” Whispell said.
The event is free and open to the public. Pre-registration is required.
Organizations represented include the Colonial Soil and Water Conservation District, York County Parks and Recreation, Historic Rivers Chapter of the Virginia Master Naturalists, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, James City County Master Gardeners, John Clayton Chapter of the Virginia Native Plant Society, Coastal Virginia Wildlife Observatory, Plant Virginia Natives, Williamsburg Birding Club, Virginia Department of Forestry, Williamsburg Botanical Gardens, and Bartlett Tree Experts.
Those who plan to attend are asked to come with the iNaturalist app already downloaded to their smartphone. Links can be found on the iNaturalist webpage.
“We will be equipped with aquatic and aerial nets, trays for observing specimens, aquaria, magnifying glasses, field guides, and other basic tools, but we suggest bringing whatever you think will help you the most, including field guides and binoculars,” Whispell shared.
There will also be a scavenger hunt, a passport that attendees can have stamped by visiting the different organizations’ educational booths, and prizes.
Coordinating the effort between scientists and citizens, Whispell hopes to be able to conduct further research on conservation efforts in the Historic Triangle.
“At the end of the BioBlitz, all the data collected by the participants is compiled in iNaturalist and analyzed. This valuable information contributes to the ongoing research and conservation efforts at New Quarter Park. It also helps to create a better understanding of the park’s biodiversity, identify important species and habitats, and inform future management and conservation strategies,” Whispell shared.
For more information or to register for the BioBlitz, click here.