National Parks BioBlitz: Washington, D.C.

Not only does algae hide a lot of interesting species in it, but it can be a pretty interesting organism to observe itself, just like this sample in Piscataway Park, Maryland.

Sarah Sparhawk/NPS.

Neither sweltering heat nor drizzling rain could stop participants from all around the Washington, D.C. area from showing up for the National Parks BioBlitz, May 20-21, 2016. The varying weather didn’t keep the biodiversity from coming out to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service, either. Two days of species inventories in a myriad of parks across the country revealed remarkable statistics of more than 60 thousand observations recorded in the iNaturalist app. This broke down to currently 7 thousand species of plants, animals, and other organisms identified by an estimated 80 thousand citizen scientists. Exciting finds from this past weekend included many new species added to the parks’ species lists, and sightings of over 365 threatened species, including an abalone species! Check out the iNaturalist results!

Other highlights included:

• 886 species identified in 14 national park units in the National Capital Region
• 2,600 grade school students attending event on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
• 120 national park units in participation nationwide, as well as over 130 events dedicated to citizen science
• The official bird of the District of Columbia, the wood thrush, observed 11 times. Park officials say this indicates that the forest in Rock Creek Park, where the bird is resident, is healthy
• An “ArchaeoBlitz”, held at Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site in North Dakota, discovered a centuries-old bison tooth
• A very special underwater recording with Dr. Sylvia Earle at Channel Islands National Park
• #BioBlitz2016 trending in the top 10 of social media world wide
• The Biodiversity Youth Ambassadors welcomed the new NCR Biodiversity Youth Ambassador, Ms. Katherine Hagan, and Ms. Mikaila Ulmer, 11, who was selected to be the National Park Service Biodiversity Youth Ambassador representing the President’s Pollinator Conservation Initiative for the National Park Service.
• Bats, Bugs, and Brews festival for beer lovers on the Constitution Gardens pond, featuring live music and a bat inventory

Even more parks throughout the nation held biodiversity discovery events during the Centennial year, including parks in Alaska.

The adventure continues in 2017! Continue to check this map do see what other biodiversity discovery events exist near you!

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