Vashon Nature Center is celebrating their 10th anniversary Bioblitz this year on July 9th and 10th. This 24-hour biodiversity survey has been run by the Nature Center at different island locations since 2012. This year it will be focused on town and surrounding areas, including Fisher Pond. The goal of this event? Count every living thing!
The idea of a Bioblitz, a period of intense biological sampling not unlike a marathon for naturalists, began in 1996 as a National Park community science project at Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens in Washington D.C. The idea was born to bring together professional scientists and the public to survey as many species as possible in a short period of time. This concept has bloomed and Bioblitzes happen all around the world today.
The Nature Center’s effort began at Neill Point, and now represents a long term biodiversity data set of seasonal snapshots from all around Vashon-Maury. Their last Bioblitz was in 2018, bringing the number of species recorded to 1092, with documentation of nearly 8000 individuals representing plankton, trees, birds, and everything in between. All the findings are added into the Vashon Biodiversity Project on iNaturalist, a website and app focused on community science inventorying.
Kathryn True, naturalist and science communication advisor to the Nature Center, recalls her and her daughter’s counting the very first species of that 2012 Bioblitz.
“My daughter and I arrived at Neill Point, unloaded the car and took a look around the maple-ringed clearing. The sun broke through for the first time all week and a Western Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio rutulus) fluttered towards us, then stopped on a blackberry leaf to flex her wings. We had our species #1!”
“We’re excited to get back out into the field with our community after a break (due to the pandemic),” said Bianca Perla, Director of Vashon Nature Center. “The data we collect with our teams will contribute to an international effort in creating a biodiversity atlas of the Salish sea. After this Bioblitz wraps up we’ll have a lot of findings to pour over. ”
Previous years have revealed much about the biodiversity of Vashon-Maury, both hidden and in plain sight including a new record of fungi for the state, documentation of endangered marbled murrelets using Maury Island State Aquatic reserve waters, and various first recorded insect species for Vashon. You can read more about these findings and more by going to the Vashon Nature Center blog and searching for Bioblitz.
A Bioblitz does not happen without an engaged community, willing biological experts, and the support of partners. Nature Center staff, volunteers, and partners may run the event, but the goal is to draw the Vashon-Maury community into joining biological surveys that happen during the 24 hours between 1pm, Saturday, July 9th and 1pm, Sunday, July 10th. Central themes of all Bioblitzes are the celebration of biodiversity and encouraging respect and pride in local ecosystems. They are community events, by and for the people.
“We’re lucky to have partners who can help host an event of this scale,” said Perla. “This is truly a community wide event. We have Vashon Heritage Museum, Vashon-Maury Land Trust, Vashon Parks District, and Vashon Audubon all to thank for their help in a myriad of ways as well as countless community volunteers and participants. Bioblitz events also highlight the talent of many local and regional naturalists and we are grateful to all of them for being such inspirational and knowledgeable team leaders. Everyone needs to meet these folks, they are gems!”
The Vashon Heritage Museum will feature the 2022 Bioblitz basecamp, a place for groups to gather before surveys and for curious folks of all ages to drop in on various activities. One of the current exhibits at the Heritage Museum, “Natural Wonder” was created in partnership with the Vashon Nature Center to inspire wonder for our local environment, and is a great addition to any visit to basecamp. The Whole Vashon Project will also be present helping participants create costumes for an “All Species March” for the Strawberry Festival Parade.
All are welcome to attend the Bioblitz. One of Vashon Nature Center’s key mantras (and a community science program that dovetails with Bioblitz) is Everyone Counts – all people and all species. Everyone is encouraged to sign up for a survey or drop by basecamp no matter their level of experience. The event is also free, thanks in part to the support of individual contributions and an Alan Painter Grant from the King County Services Area Grant.
How can you get involved in Bioblitz?
1. If your property is within the Bioblitz boundaries, download the iNaturalist app and survey your own property! Anything you upload onto iNaturalist from 1 pm July 9th to 1 pm July 10th will automatically be included in the Bioblitz count! Here is a google map of the boundaries: https://tinyurl.com/2022BioblitzArea
2. Join a survey to help expert team leads find species! Sign up here: https://tinyurl.com/Bioblitzsignup
3. Come to the Heritage Museum base camp where you can see the operation headquarters for Bioblitz, tour the Natural Wonder exhibit, and participate in many fun family friendly activities about nature.
4. Attend a free public walk around Fisher Pond July 9th from 7-8 pm– a partnership offering from Vashon-Maury Island Land Trust and Vashon Nature Center. We will have stations along the trail where you can learn about amphibians, plants, and wildlife track and sign!