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NPS Photo by Megan Juran
Contact: Barb Maynes, 360-565-3005 Reservations are filling, but there is still time to sign up for this weekend's special BioBlitz activities at Olympic National Park!A BioBlitz is a 24-hour event that brings together scientists, students, families and community members to find and identify as many living species of organisms as possible. Activities will be offered at several Olympic National Park locations this weekend –advance reservations are free and are needed for most activities.
"BioBlitz events give people the chance to work alongside trained scientists to identify and document plant and animal species," explained Sarah Creachbaum, Olympic National Park's superintendent. "At Olympic, our species inventories will focus on moths, bees and other pollinators and on the biodiversity of the temperate rain forest."
Community members and park visitors of all backgrounds are invited to become citizen scientists and join the Olympic BioBlitz this Friday and Saturday, May 20 and 21.
All events are free of charge but advance reservations are required for some events. "Reservations will help ensure that all participants to have a chance to work and talk with the scientist leaders," said Creachbaum. Previous experience and science backgrounds are not required!
"A BioBlitz is like a treasure hunt, where people of all ages and backgrounds help find and photograph as many species as possible," said Olympic National Park Superintendent Sarah Creachbaum. "Everyone's invited to become a citizen scientist and join BioBlitz 2016!"
Events are scheduled for several locations in and around the park: the Olympic National Park Visitor Center and nearby Peabody Creek, the former Aldwell lake bed along the Elwha River and the Hoh Rain Forest. Details are outlined below.
Friday, May 20
Olympic National Park Visitor Center
3002 Mount Angeles Road, Port Angeles
Storytime with Park Rangers and Port Angeles Library Youth Librarians
10:30 a.m. Olympic National Park Visitor Center, 3002 Mount Angeles Road
Kids with adults are invited to join park rangers and youth librarians for a special story time in the Olympic National Park Visitor Center Discovery Room. This story time will help children up to age six discover biodiversity and the amazing variety of animals around the world. No reservations needed. 8:00 -10:30 p.m.
Moth and Pollinator Night
Olympic National Park Visitor Center, 3002 Mount Angeles Road Join experts J.D. Herndon and Dennis Strenge in attracting and counting as many moths and nighttime pollinators as possible. This event begins with a short indoor presentation, followed by use of lights and white sheets outdoors to attract moths. Free. Smartphone with free iNaturalist app will be helpful. Reserve your spot today at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/olympic-bioblitz-2016-moth-and-pollinator-night-tickets-25070844571
Hoh Rain Forest Campground Amphitheater
7:00 p.m. Discover Mosses of the Hoh Rain Forest Hoh Rain Forest Campground Amphitheater Olympic's rain forests harbor an amazing diversity of mosses, lichens and liverworts. Dr. Judy Harpel of the University of British Columbia will present a richly illustrated evening program showcasing this diversity. This presentation will provide an introduction to the moss inventories scheduled for the following day. Free. No reservations needed.
Saturday, May 21
Former Lake Aldwell 9:00 am –12pm Bee, Pollinator and Plant Inventory Parking area at the north end of Lake Aldwell Road Join bee experts J.D. Herndon and Houston Guy to collect, count and identify as many pollinators as possible and the plants on which they can be found. Explore the restoration of biodiversity in the Elwha Valley. Free. Smartphone with free iNaturalist app will be helpful. Reserve your spot today at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/olympic-bioblitz-2016-bee-and-plant-inventory-in-the-former-lake-aldwell-9-12-tickets-25071106354
12 –3pm Bee, Pollinator and Plant Inventory
Parking area at the north end of Lake Aldwell Road Join bee experts J.D. Herndon and Houston Guy for a second round of collecting, counting and identifying as many pollinators as possible and the plants on which they are found. Reserve your spot today at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/olympic-bioblitz-2016-bee-and-plant-inventory-in-the-former-lake-aldwell-1-3pm-tickets-25071166534 Hoh Rain Forest
10:00 a.m. Big Tree Discovery Hoh Rain Forest Hall of Mosses Trail Join a team of scientists to examine the details of a single giant Douglas fir in the Hoh Rain Forest. How big is it? How old is it? How much carbon does it store? What's living on its trunk, in its canopy and in its roots? Free. Binoculars or a spotting scope will be helpful. Reserve your spot today at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/olympic-bioblitz-2016-big-tree-discovery-tickets-25071805445
11:30 a.m. Moss Inventory with Scientist Judy Harpel
Hoh Rain Forest Visitor Center What better place to inventory mosses than the Hoh Rain Forest? Join moss expert Dr. Judy Harpel to discover, identify and record as many species of moss as possible. Smartphone with free iNaturalist app will be helpful. Reserve your spot today at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/olympic-bioblitz-2016-hoh-rainforest-moss-inventory-tickets-25072025102
12:30 –3:00 p.m. Big Tree Canopy Biodiversity Inventory
Hoh Rain Forest, Hall of Mosses Trail Join a team of scientists to discover what life can be found in the canopy of a single giant Douglas fir tree. Scientists will climb the tree and bring down samples for close examination. Participants will help examine, count and identify as many species as possible. Free. Binoculars or spotting scope and a smartphone with free iNaturalist app will be helpful. Reserve your spot today at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/olympic-bioblitz-2016-big-tree-inventory-tickets-25071881673
Olympic National Park Visitor Center
3002 Mount Angeles Road, Port Angeles 9:00 a.m. –4:00 p.m. 'Mosaic of Diversity' film shown throughout the day Stop by the Olympic National Park Visitor Center any time between 9 and 4 and see the park's award-winning film 'Mosaic of Diversity'. This 20-minute film is an introduction to Olympic National Park and focuses on the remarkable biological and cultural diversity of this vast wilderness park. 10:00 a.m. BioBlitz Dance Flashmob
Join the Girl Scouts, Boys &Girls Club and park staff in celebrating biodiversity with the BioBlitz Dance! Park rangers will teach and lead the dance, and a special instructional video is available at https://youtu.be/SZXpyUGj0fQ. The moves are simple, and will help everyone feel their 'inner wild animal'! Everyone's invited to join the fun! Free. All ages. No reservations needed.
11:00 a.m. Stories of Totem Animals with Lower Elwha Klallam Storyteller Roger Fernandes Join tribal storyteller Roger Fernandes to discover a cultural perspective on biodiversity as he shares stories about the totem animals of the Elwha Klallam people. Free. All ages. No reservations needed.
12:00 p.m. Discovery Walks on Peabody Creek
Three walks, each focused on a different inventory, will be offered simultaneously along various sections of the Peabody Creek Trail. Local experts will guide these walks and help kids and adults find and identify as many living things as possible. Smartphone with free iNaturalist app will be helpful. Free. 12:00 pm Amphibian and Invertebrate Walk with Alex Foster, USFS
Find and identify as many amphibians and invertebrates as possible along the Peabody Creek Trail. Reserve your spot today at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/olympic-bioblitz-2016-amphibian-and-invertebrate-walk-on-peabody-creek-tickets-25072186585 12:00 pm Native Plant Walk with Laurel Moulton, NPS
Find and identify as many native plants as possible along the Peabody Creek Trail. Reserve your spot today at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/olympic-bioblitz-2016-native-plant-walk-on-peabody-creek-tickets-25072406242 12:00 pm Natural Discovery Walk with Janis Burger, NPS
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Last updated: May 18, 2016