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KIRKWOOD, Mo.—Harness your passion for nature into a powerful tool to help the natural sciences. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is holding a two-day Bioblitz event at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center in Kirkwood May 11-12. It’s an opportunity to collect valuable data on the plants and animals found on the nature center’s grounds.
A bioblitz is an intense biological survey performed by scientists, naturalists and volunteers to document all the living species within a given area. Participants conduct an intensive field study during a compressed time period which provides scientists and land managers a snapshot of the natural health and diversity of an area.
Participants will get the chance to roll up their sleeves and get close and personal with a variety of plants and animals, while having fun, learning, and uncovering valuable information all at the same time. It’s a chance to be a scientist for a day.
The Powder Valley Bioblitz will take place Friday, May 11, from 6:30 to 11 p.m., and Saturday, May 12, from 7 a.m.-2 p.m., enabling participants to sample both nocturnal and daytime creatures.
The Friday night portion will include bat mist netting, spider eye shine surveys, and black light surveys for moths, along with an owl prowl from 6:45-8 p.m. Bioblitzers should bring flashlights or headlamps and dress for the weather.
On Saturday, explorations throughout the day will include mist netting and banding birds, small mammal trapping surveys, hummingbird banding, tree ID walks, pond, creek and reptile and amphibian surveys. There will also be opportunities to examine and record plants, fungi, mosses, lichens and insects.
The bioblitz is free and no registration is required. Participants should bring refillable water to take advantage of free water and lemonade refills.
For more information and exact times of each activity, call MDC Naturalist Shelly Colatskie at 314-301-1506, ext. 4222.
Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center is located at 11715 Cragwold Road, near the intersection of I-44 and I-270.
