NPS Photo
2012 BioBlitz in Rocky
The BioBlitz was part scientific endeavor, part festival and part outdoor classroom. Participants combed the park, recording as many plant and animal species as possible in 24 hours. The park hosted the 2012 National Geographic BioBlitz as part of a decade of species inventories in our national parks. Nearly 200 scientists joined forces with the public to count plants, insects, mammals, birds and other creatures that inhabit this majestic park. More than 5,000 people, including over 2,000 school children, participated in the event. A companion festival at the Estes Park Fairgrounds celebrated biodiversity and tallied up the numbers. This event added several species that had not been previously documented in the park. A 24-hour inventory period (noon-to-noon) over two days added a lizard, nine insects and 13 non-vascular plants to the park's species list. The big brown bat was officially confirmed at the 2012 BioBlitz.
Last updated: July 5, 2022