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St. LOUIS, Mo.—Science isn’t just for people in lab coats. Thanks to citizen science, anyone can contribute essential data and help expand our understanding of the natural world.
The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), Great Rivers Greenway (GRG), St. Louis County Parks and Recreation, and other community partners invite you to take part in the Mississippi Greenway: Cliff Cave BioBlitz on Saturday, Sept. 19 in Cliff Cave County Park. Participants should meet at the GRG Mississippi Greenway Lower Trailhead located in the park.
From birds and bugs to plants and pollinators, participants will help record as many species as possible within 24 hours, in a single area along the Mississippi Greenway in the Cliff Cave Park area. This is a free event and people of all ages and experience levels are encouraged to participate.
“A bioblitz is a fun and engaging way to learn about local biodiversity and contribute to scientific research. The data gathered can also help us in conservation and land management decisions,” said MDC Urban Wildlife Biologist, Miranda Wilkenson.
"Cliff Cave Park is such a beautiful and ecologically diverse park, and its location in a bottomland area next to the Mississippi River makes it perfect for an event like this,” said Bryn Blackburn, GRG Conservation Supervisor. “The data we gather on September 19 will help us better understand the types of species we're supporting through our work with volunteers, AmeriCorps, Outdoor Leadership Corps, St. Louis County Parks, and MDC."
This event runs from 7 a.m. – 9 p.m., and there are multiple opportunities to join the BioBlitz throughout the day. Participants may collect data using the iNaturalist mobile app anytime during the day or sign up for expert-led sessions based on the schedule below. Whether you’re a seasoned naturalist or just curious about nature, your observations will contribute to valuable conservation research.
The expert-led sessions throughout the day will include:
Those interested in the above guided group sessions must register for that individual shift in advance at http://short.mdc.mo.gov/oNb.
Participants should bring a mobile phone or tablet with the iNaturalist app installed and logged in. The free mobile app can be downloaded for Android or iOS. More information on how to enter data using iNaturalist can be found at http://short.mdc.mo.gov/oxw. Enter all data under the Mississippi Greenway/Cliff Cave BioBlitz project.
There will also be free snow cones from Kona Ice and hot dog lunch provided for all those who participate.
Participants should also dress for the weather, wear closed-toed shoes and long pants.
For more information about the event, go to http://short.mdc.mo.gov/4vN.
