24 hours. 75 acres. Every species you can find.
On June 28th, scientists, students, and amateur naturalists scurried over a 75-acre plot at Sky Meadows State Park located in Fauquier County, Virginia. Their task? To identify every species they came across from noon on Saturday to noon on Sunday. Separated into teams by broad taxonomic groups, our BioBlitz participants (Chapter members, Friends of Sky Meadows, or friends of both groups) drudged in ponds, overturned rocks, and kept their binoculars aimed at the sky to find our furry, feathered, flowering, and many-legged wild friends. By recording the appearance of every species of plant or animal (a variable called "species richness" in biodiversity measurements), Sky Meadows hopes to gain a better understanding of the current health of the biodiversity in the chosen area. The long-term plan? To rehabilitate the wildlife habitat within the 75 acres which has historically been used as agricultural or grazing fields. If we know what plants and animals are there, not only can we build a better wildlife habitat but we can also tell through future measurements if the rehabilitation is actually increasing the biodiversity of the area. Stay tuned to learn about what the Friends of Sky Meadows and the Shenandoah Master Naturalists plan next for their BioBlitz rehabilitation area.
On June 28th, scientists, students, and amateur naturalists scurried over a 75-acre plot at Sky Meadows State Park located in Fauquier County, Virginia. Their task? To identify every species they came across from noon on Saturday to noon on Sunday. Separated into teams by broad taxonomic groups, our BioBlitz participants (Chapter members, Friends of Sky Meadows, or friends of both groups) drudged in ponds, overturned rocks, and kept their binoculars aimed at the sky to find our furry, feathered, flowering, and many-legged wild friends. By recording the appearance of every species of plant or animal (a variable called "species richness" in biodiversity measurements), Sky Meadows hopes to gain a better understanding of the current health of the biodiversity in the chosen area. The long-term plan? To rehabilitate the wildlife habitat within the 75 acres which has historically been used as agricultural or grazing fields. If we know what plants and animals are there, not only can we build a better wildlife habitat but we can also tell through future measurements if the rehabilitation is actually increasing the biodiversity of the area. Stay tuned to learn about what the Friends of Sky Meadows and the Shenandoah Master Naturalists plan next for their BioBlitz rehabilitation area.
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