If you're keen on bugs, birds, or botany and fancy a day of citizen science, clear your calendar for Saturday, June 28, for the final early-summer BioBlitz at Theodore Wirth Park. This is not just for eggheads and biology buffs—the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) is calling on community members of all stripes, ages, and expertise levels to roll up their sleeves, and get down and dirty with local flora and fauna.
The event promises a jam-packed day, starting with the "Early birding session" from 7:30am to 9am, for those who like their air fresh and their dew still on the leaves. After a brief interlude, the "Morning session" kicks into gear from 9:15am until 12:15pm, followed by a lunch break—complimentary for anyone who's committed to both morning and afternoon sessions. The final "Afternoon session" goes from 1 to 4pm, for the stamina-strong and the sun-loving participants.
Interested in joining? Participants can sign up by visiting the BioBlitz event page. The MPRB emphasizes that all ages are welcome, but kids under 14 need to bring an adult. It's a family-friendly affair that creates valuable data for science and research, and who knows, you might just discover an unrecorded species lurking in Theodore Wirth Park.
Expect to aid in the identification of everything from slippery salamanders to towering trees, with "Insects, Birds, Mammals, Fungi, Plants & Trees, Reptiles & amphibians, [and] Aquatic invertebrates" all on the species-spotting menu, as per the MPRB. They'll supply the tools of the trade—magnifying glasses, microscopes, binoculars, and probably a plethora of other items I'm forgetting—but the data collection prowess? That's all you.
The BioBlitz, it seems, is intended to provide a "snapshot of the variety of life at a specific place and point in time," offering local area dwellers a chance to see what's actually out there in their park. "Explore and discover the biodiversity of Minneapolis parks," says the MPRB. Moreover, it avoids the all-too-human hubris of 'observe and conquer' in favor of a softer touch—finding, identifying, and understanding the subtle threads of nature woven through urban life. So, get your nature nerd on and make your count count at this community science extravaganza.
