What is a BioBlitz? A BioBlitz is an attempt by volunteers, working scientists and avocational naturalists, to tally as many species of organism as they can in 24 hours on a particular parcel of land. It is designed to bring the community of naturalists together, to demonstrate the biodiversity that surrounds us on even the most mundane-looking land, and the value of these species to the quality of our lives.
In the first RINHS BioBlitz, in June of 2000, 33 volunteers observed 663 species in a highly degraded urban park in Providence, RI. Since then an average of 100 volunteer naturalists have surveyed a different parcel every year. In addition to generating publicity for the issue of biodiversity, BioBlitz yields valuable information on species for the Survey’s databases and has contributed to works in our publication series as well. The land-owning entities of each BioBlitz site benefit from the rapid assessment of their property, identifying sites and species as potential education or conservation targets, and generating publicity for their land conservation efforts. BioBlitz is one of the Survey’s signature programs.
Information on the current year’s bioblitz is available here:
Rhode Island BioBlitz 2013
See the list of teams, get reporting taxonomy spreadsheets, species checklists, instructions, equipment, and other resources for bioblitz participants on the:
RI BioBlitz Team Page
Since 2010, BioBlitz has included an Art Team that documents the event and finds, develops an annual exhibition, and helps bring this “observation exercise” to a whole new level. Visit the RI BioBlitz Art Team on Facebook.
Past Rhode Island BioBlitzes (town/property)
2011 Scituate, Joslin Farm
2010 Block Island, various on north end
2009 Glocester, Sprague Farm
2008 Westerly, Grills Preserve
2007 South Kingstown, Trustom Pond NWR
2006 Cumberland, Cumberland Monastery
2005 Bristol, Mt. Hope
2004 W. Greenwich, URI Alton Jones Campus
2003 Tiverton, Pardon Gray Preserve, others
2002 Exeter, Eppley Wildlife Sanctuary
2001 Middletown, Norman Bird Sanctuary, others
2000 Providence, Roger Williams Park