Thank you to all who turned out for BioBlitz 2016! What a wonderful 24 hours it was. Below you will find the preliminary highlights along with some photos.

But first, we’d like to share some fitting reflections on the BioBlitz experience from VNC Outreach and Program Coordinator, Kathryn True:

“Driving home from the 5^th annual Island BioBlitz, I was sweaty and tired but at the same time, glowing and elated. I had just spent 24 hours on a free-for-all nature scavenger hunt with a bunch of kindred spirits—nature lovers who ooh and aww over a gargantuan newt, have fun interpreting the facial expression on a macro photo of a gorgeous but shy white moth and exclaim over the climbing feats of a plethora of banana slugs out in slug-style jubilation over the recent rains. “What’s at the heart of it all?” I wondered to myself as I turned up my driveway, head still spinning with the natural wonders we’d uncovered.

When people ask what is the point of a BioBlitz, I now have an answer for them. Humans, with our language and communication networks, are essential to the survival of those without internets and cell phones. We are the, possibly unwitting, champions for plants and critters who can’t speak our language. As we find them, ID them, and catalog their names, it’s akin to hearing the Who’s in Dr. Suess’ Whoville. “We are here, we are here, we are here!!” they are trying to tell us by simply being. And as naturalists, we acknowledge them and record their presence to share with those who may not hear them, but could benefit from listening.

What we learn goes way beyond the actual count—which is currently at 516 species for the 2016 BioBlitz, with many more photos still to decipher, ID, and add to the list—it is forging relationships with beings other than humans. By entering into this knowing, we commit to a contract of sorts: I see you and I will not ignore or harm you—and I will do my best to protect you.

The benefits go both ways. Over and over again during our BioBlitz I saw adults laughing like children, their eyes sparkling with pure joy. Perhaps because of its ability to continually amaze us, we become childlike when we explore nature. In this way, it is a conduit to return to youth. By sparking the open-hearted curiosity and creativity of children, perhaps it is the long-sought fountain of youth. I wouldn’t be surprised if Mother Earth hid that legendary “fountain” where it would benefit all life on earth. So, go ahead, sip freely of natural wonder and discovery—the animals and plants will love you for it, and you may feel years younger.”

Thank you Kathryn!!

Judd Creek BioBlitz is the 5^th in a series of annual BioBlitzes that started in 2012. Together we have covered a varied array of island parks and preserves throughout the last 5 years.

Vashon Nature Center is dedicating this next year to interpreting the vast amount of data we have collected these past 5 years and telling the stories of the life we have found. As Kathryn so aptly put it above, we seek to share with others that fountain of youth that springs open when we let our curiosity for nature run free:

2016 Statistics

Number of human participants: 142

Total number of species counted at close of BioBlitz 2016: 516 (largest preliminary count of all BioBlitz events!)

Judd Creek  is looking like a biodiversity hotspot on Vashon with higher counts in almost every category compared to other BioBlitz locales:

The theme of the day for plants in Judd Creek was WOW! WETLANDS! Judd Creek has many wet areas from the estuary saltmarsh at the mouth of Judd Creek to many small pocket freshwater wetlands throughout the watershed, some of which harbor unique individuals and communities not seen in other BioBlitz events. Team lead Jim Evans and his plant crew did an incredible job surveying and documenting these areas. They had a lot of ground to cover.

Despite the overcast weather terrestrial arthropod team leads Harsi Parker, Rayna Holtz, Alan Warneke, Michelle Ramsden, and Heidi Hans Petersen found a great many insects and other arthropods for us this count, it will likely be the highest diversity of all BioBlitz events when the final count comes in.

Many insects revealed their unique personalities to us this year:

Our favorite nighttime critter was… a tiny monkey? No it’s a ten-lined June beetle closer than you’ve ever seen it before! Thanks to Alden Hinden-Stevenson for this amazing up close shot.

Rusty Knowler captured this serious looking damselfly that seemed to be watching our survey techniques with a critical eye during the pond surveys.

Thanks to Alan Warneke, Michelle Ramsden, and photographers Alden Hinden-Stevenson, Kieran Enzian, and Julian White-Davis for cataloging the nighttime flyers at our black-lighting stations.

 

A nice complement of mammals were seen between our wildcams, tracking teams (led by Mallory Clarke and co), and small mammal live trap forays from plentiful Townsend’s voles, coast moles and deer mice, to black-tailed deer, eastern gray squirrel, native douglas squirrel, raccoon, river otter, coyote, and harbor seal.Our 6 Wildlife cameras picked up a coyote as well as quite a few deer, raccoons, wandering cats and this flock of strange and boisterous critters.

This BioBlitz was a pond explorers dream with 4 ponds to survey. We found large non-native bullfrogs alongside native red-legged frogs and rough-skinned newts.

Matsuda Farm pond surprised us with a complete absence of amphibians in our traps. Five minutes before the end of the count a quick fish revealed the possible culprits—hungry large-mouth bass.  It’s probable that these fish plus the steep sides of the pond prevent much colonization by amphibians.

Bird diversity was the highest of all previous BioBlitz events coming in at a total of 65 species with Ezra Parker and Kathryn True as team leads. Matsuda meadows have become known as a rare bird vortex over the past few years with many never before sighted birds some of which are quite rare in King County as a whole (i.e. western bluebird, white-tailed kite). None of the extremely rare birds were counted in our count probably due to the fact that most are picked up as they travel through on migration earlier in the spring. However, the base level of summer songbird biodiversity is quite impressive in these areas.

The owling crew led by Kelly Keenan and Sherry Lee Bottoms were treated to calls by young barred owls as well as young barn owls in the meadows around Paradise Valley.

Our fungi team led by Wren Hudgins pulled in the most species ever for a summer BioBlitz at around 29 species. And our lichen, liverwort and moss team led by Phoebe Goit did the same with the highest count ever along with a mysterious unidentifiable specimen that is now making the rounds at the Puget Sound Mycolocgical Society. Last time Phoebe Goit found a mystery it ended up at the Burke herbarium as the first record in the state. We will keep you updated.

Fish revealed themselves quite easily as well from the large-mouthed bass in Matsuda Pond to juvenile salmonids and sculpin in Judd Creek to young coho and perch schools found by our snorkel team as they swam in the estuary. The beach crew was led by Maria Metler and Rayna Holtz.

With the 5^th BioBlitz drawing to a close we’ve realized just how amazing this community is that has been formed around these events. We had every age represented in abundance and working together, learning together and enjoying each other’s company. And all of us bonded together by our love for the wild.

We now have children in the community who have lived more than half their lives going through our annual BioBlitz events.

More than anything else participating in a BioBlitz shows us how amazing life is on this planet and how connected we are to those around us–fellow nature lovers, plants, animals, landscapes and all life. We look forward to taking this next year to share the story of the BioBlitz, it’s people, and all the living beings that share this island with us and deserve our kinship and respect:

“When I myself look at other animals, I almost never see an otherness. I see the overwhelming similarities; they fill me with a sense of deep relation. Nothing makes me feel more at home in the world than the company of wild relatives. Nothing else except the deepest human love feels as right, as connected, or puts me at such peace.”

—Carl Safina, Beyond Words: What Animals Think and Feel

A heartfelt thank you to all who participated and to our sponsors:  Vashon Maury Island Land Trust, Vashon Watersports,  King County, Mountaineers Foundation, Washington Department of Natural Resources, and to all the individuals who shared their time volunteering at base camp, on crews, and as lead scientists (what a team!), who baked home cooked food , and who donated their hard earned cash to help us with expenses like food, porta potty rental and other supplies, every bit helped.

Thanks to all who keep this feeling of curiosity and love for nature alive in the world.