Friday, June 13th - Saturday, June 14th, 2008
5:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
At Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge, Carver
At the Rapids Lake Education and Visitor Center

This year Bioblitz will be surveying part of the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge. This is land, newly acquired by the refuge, and it is a beautiful and scientifically interesting site. Surrounded by the rapidly developing Carver County the data collected will be used to help manage the site. Activities and collecting will be going on all day.

Scheduled Public Activities

Friday Night

• 8:30 p.m. – Night Surveys (bats, owls, frogs)
• 9:30 p.m. – Insect Collecting

Saturday

• 6:00 a.m. - Bird Hike and Survey
• 8:00 a.m. - Mammals, Reptiles and Amphibians Survey
• 8:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m. - Bird Banding (ongoing)
• 10:30 a.m. - Minnesota River Fish Survey (drive to site)
• 1:00 p.m. - Wetland Sampling
• 2:00 p.m. – Prairie Plants and Plots

Visitors may show-up and join in on any of the above listed activities. There will also be other ongoing activities on both days.

WHAT IS THE MINNESOTA BIOBLITZ?

BioBlitz (bi-o-blits) n. 1. an intensive 24-hour survey to find all the plants and animals at a specific location. 2. a 24-hour survey where the public can help scientists find different plants and animals. 3. A neat place where you can catch, see and learn about cool bugs, spiders, mushrooms, worms, snakes, birds, flowers, bats, trees,...

Designed as part contest, part festival, part educational event, part scientific endeavor, the BioBlitz brings together scientists from the from across the state in a race against time. The goal is to count as many species of plants and animals they can in a 24-hour biological survey of a Minnesota natural area.

It's also a chance for you to hob-nob with state scientists to find out what they do, how they do it and what their work means to the health of our environment. Walks and demonstrations are held throughout the event.

WHY A BIOBLITZ?

Public Awareness : BioBlitz is designed to increase the public's awareness of the variety of life in their immediate neighborhood and the services these various species provide to improve the quality of their lives. We usually hear the word "biodiversity" in regard to rainforests with their vast number of species. Yet the diversity of life in our own backyards is phenomenal. We take for granted clean water, fertile soil, and air to breathe. Yet these are all the result of working ecosystems filled with species that perform these tasks.

Data Generation : The BioBlitz generates a list of species found at a chosen location, a first step in successful natural resource management. The BioBlitz has the potential to identify species that should be monitored or controlled. It may identify unique aspects of the area that might otherwise not have been known. This information along with recommendations from the scientists is supplied to the host site.

Previous Bioblitz’s:

2007 Warner Nature Center, Marine on the St. Croix

• Mammals -15
• Birds-78
• Fish-9
• Diatoms-126 (taxa)
• Plants-321
• Fungi- 83
• Reptiles-6
• Amphibians-7
• Insects-464
• Other Invertebrates- 19

2006 New Bell Museum Site- – 850 species

2005 Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge - 989 species

2004 Tamarac Nature Center – 750 species (raining)

Presented by:
Bell Museum of Natural History
Minnesota National Wildlife Refuge
University of Minnesota
Minnesota Naturalist Association
Minnesota Native Plant Society
Minnesota Mycological Society
Minnesota DNR
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service