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Contact: Daphne Yun, 718-354-4602
Grab your magnifying glass and binoculars and explore nature! On June 10-11, Gateway National Recreation Area (Gateway) will participate in the National Parks BioBlitz, BioBlitz is a fun, fast-pace biological survey of a park's creepers and crawlers, plants and pollinators, mammals and more! The National Park Service is celebrating its 100th birthday with more than 100 BioBlitzes around the country. During this free, two-day event, teams of scientists, naturalists and volunteers will discover and document the biodiversity in and around Jamaica Bay. This 24 hour event will start at 1 p.m. on Friday, June 10 and conclude at 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 11, 2016. "A BioBlitz is a great way for people to learn more about all of the animals and plants in Jamaica Bay," said Jen Nersesian, Gateway's superintendent. "Whether you have a couple of hours or a whole day, there will be something for everyone." Groups or individuals interested in volunteering should register for specific survey time slots. Slots are available at 1:30, 5:30 and 8:00 p.m. on Friday, June 10 and 6:00, 8:00 and 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 11. you are welcome to participate in as many surveys as you want. To register ahead of time - please us this webpage. You are also welcome to register the day of the event. Everyone will need to sign in the day of the event. Sign in is open Friday, June 10 from noon to 8:30 p.m. and Saturday, June 11 from 5:30 to 10:30 a.m. Sign in is at Jacob Riis Park, 16702 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Queens, NY 11694. Gateway will be using an app called iNaturalist to record species data for this BioBlitz. The app will make gathering data easy and fun. Just snap and post a picture and the experts in that field will review and idenify the species. You can create an account ahead of time by going on www.inaturalist.org/signup. Once you have an account you can join the 2016 Jamaica Bay BioBlitz. Short iNaturalist tutorials will be held throughout the BioBlitz to help teach participants how to use the app. Explorers of all ages are needed. All events are free and open to the public. There are activities to engage the whole family, no matter how much time you have. About Gateway National Recreation Area A large diverse urban park spanning two states, Gateway combines recreational activities with natural beauty, wildlife preservation, military history and more. Visitors can hike, picnic, swim, sunbathe, visit the oldest lighthouse in the nation, see an airplane collection and camp overnight, all in the New York metropolitan area. Gateway is one of the most ten visited national parks in the country. The National Park Service will celebrate its 100th birthday on August 25, 2016. Gateway will be offering a number of events intended to invite people into the park and encourage visitors to be a part of the NPS's next 100 years. For more information about Gateway's upcoming public programs, see the park's website at www.nps.gov/gate. To join the conversation about Gateway, like us on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/Gatewaynps. |
Last updated: June 6, 2016