Saturday, March 27, 2010

Prairie Bioblitz

Penn-Sylvania Prairie BioBlitz, Picnic and Campout is scheduled for Saturday, May 29, 2010.  It is open to the public and is sponsored by the Missouri Prairie Foundation, our partnering organization.
So what is a BioBlitz? In the words of National Geographic, 
A BioBlitz is a 24-hour event in which teams of volunteer scientists, families, students, teachers, and other community members work together to find and identify as many species of plants, animals, microbes, fungi, and other organisms as possible. 
A BioBlitz gives adults, kids, and teens the opportunity to join biologists in the field and participate in bona fide research expeditions. It's a fun and exciting way to learn about the biological diversity of local parks and to better understand how to protect them.
Take part in intensive nature study with experts on mammals, amphibians, reptiles, bees, butterflies, moths, plants, soils, snails and more, and help inventory species on this 160-acre prairie owned by MPF in Dade County. The event begins at 2 p.m. and lasts until the next morning for some species. After a potluck picnic dinner, amateur astronomer Dan Zarlenga will set up his telescope and interpret the night sky. Great for families, teachers and nature lovers of all ages!
RSVP to info@moprairie.com or call 1-888-843-6739. To learn more about MPF, visit www.moprairie.org. 90 minutes West of Springfield.  Take Hwy. 160 West to Hwy 97, North approx. 9 miles, then West on Hwy E 2 miles and left on a dirt road 1/2 mile.
All the details are at this Missouri Master Naturalist site.