Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation: BioBlitz 2008

Photo by Bob Joachim, Patterson Creek Photos		BioBlitz Home Key information: What exactly is a BioBlitz? What species have been found already? How can I sign up? What should I bring? (Novices) What should I bring? (Specialists and Generalists) How do I get there & where do I stay? What is the event schedule? What makes the Heritage Valley site so special?

INHF recently acquired a 1,224-acre site along the Upper Iowa River. Species information collected at the upcoming BioBlitz will help determine long-term land management plans.
A June 2008 event was canceled due to flooding. The August event will be held from 1PM on Saturday, August 23, to 1PM on Sunday August 24; you must register before the event. We will also hold a make-up BioBlitz event in June 2009. Important notes: Most Taxon Teams are limited in size, so you must pre-register to guarantee your space. Space is limited to 80 registrants. You must be present at the opening time of a given field session to join that session because the entire group will travel together to its research site. Because the property itself is quite large, some research areas are distant from the base camp, and motorized transport is very limited. In many cases, if you aren't there when the group sets out, there's no way to catch up later. NOTE: Reptile, amphibian, plant, fish, mussel, stream invertebrate, fungi, bryophyte, and some other surveys will be restricted to daylight hours. Bats and night insects are restricted to evening/night hours. Please plan your arrival accordingly. Due to the rough terrain, proximity to the river, and possible inclement weather, this event may not be appropriate for very young children. In any event, the brood must be supervised under your hawk-like eyes. How to register for the August event (registration closes August 10) Please note: registration forms are password protected. When asked to fill in a password, type inhf. If you have little or no knowledge about species identification but would still like to join a Taxon Team, please register for BioBlitz 4 (Aug 23-24) as a novice. If you have some knowledge or expertise with a particular taxon and would like lead a Taxon Team for all or part of the event, please register for BioBlitz 4 (Aug 23-24) as a generalist or specialist. Specialists need to have knowledge and equipment and be willing to get their tallied info to us. Generalists do not lead any team but are invaluable in finding, identifying and educating those in a taxon about species. This event is sponsored by the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation and the Iowa Natural History Association, thanks to a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Additional support has come from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Alliant Energy Foundation, Power Film and Luther College. For event information, e-mail Marlene Ehresman or call 515-288-1846. Registration questions? E-mail Jessica Rilling.

BioBlitz 2008: August 23-24

24-hours of discovery...