Part scientific endeavor, part festival and part outdoor classroom, BioBlitz is a two-day celebration of biodiversity centered on a 24-hour race to count species. During the BioBlitz, teams of scientists, school children and the general public work together to find and identify as many species as possible.
“We are excited that Saguaro National Park will host the 2011 BioBlitz,” said Saguaro National Park Superintendent Darla Sidles. “This event will offer a great opportunity for thousands of people in the greater Tucson area to explore and learn about species across the park’s mountains, cactus forests and riparian areas like never before.”
This will be the fifth BioBlitz that National Geographic and the National Park Service are presenting as a lead-up to the Service’s centennial in 2016. A different national park is being selected each year. The 2010 BioBlitz took place in Florida’s Biscayne National Park on April 30 and May 1, when thousands of people, including more than 1,300 school children and more than 150 scientists, identified over 800 species, including several not previously documented in the park.
“BioBlitz is a unique opportunity for top scientists and the general public to do field work together,” said John Francis, National Geographic’s vice president for research, conservation and exploration. “Through BioBlitz, the park gets a biodiversity checkup, but more importantly we all better understand our unique role in the natural systems where we live.”
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