Join us for a 24-hour BioBlitz at the Fernald Preserve. This species inventory activity is a blend of science, celebration, education, and community. Scientists and subject matter experts from a variety of fields will lead families, Scouts, youth groups, and others on searches for bugs, spiders, snakes, birds, flowers, and trees. This event will expand the site’s biological database, and it will give members of the public a chance to be involved in conducting field studies. The BioBlitz is an excellent way to learn about the biodiversity at the Fernald Preserve and the surrounding area, and to better understand how to protect the many different species that we live with every day.
BioBlitz 2011 Schedule .gif "PDF")
Friday, June 10: 5 p.m. to midnight
| When
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What
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What to Expect
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5–7 p.m.
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Butterfly and spider walk
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Assist local experts in netting and identifying butterflies, other insects, and spiders during this 1-mile walk through the Preserve’s prairies and woodlots.
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5–9 p.m.
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Forest/riparian hike
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Hike the western perimeter of the Preserve with a trained botanist who will identify vascular plants. The Paddys Run corridor will be the focus of this activity. This will be a rugged, off-trail hike.
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6–8 p.m.
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Fungi, ferns, mosses, and lichens
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Join local experts on a leisurely walk as they search for ferns, mosses, and fungi along the Preserve’s Shingle Oak and Sycamore Trails.
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7–9 p.m.
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General birding hike
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See up to 40 species as you travel by van to a number of “birdy” locations. Wetland, prairie, and forest habitats will be the focus of this activity.
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8–11 p.m.
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Wildlife spotting
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Travel with several experts in search of nocturnal wildlife. Use a spotlight to scan the Preserve for deer, coyotes, foxes, spiders, and other animals.
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9–11 p.m.
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Frog call
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Get up close with bull, leopard, cricket, and tree frogs as local experts lead you on a walk through the Preserve’s wetlands and ponds in search of a variety of amphibians.
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Stargazing
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See the unveiling of the site’s new telescope, and help us identify stars and constellations in the late-spring sky.
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10 p.m.–12 a.m.
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Bat mist netting
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Help local experts net, band, and identify a variety of bats—including, if you’re lucky, the federally endangered Indiana bat—during this late-night activity.
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10 p.m–12 a.m.
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Insect survey
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During this late-night activity, observe and help entomologists as they use spotlights to attract and identify insects that make the Preserve their home.
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| Saturday, June 11: 6 a.m. to 5 p.m.
When
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What
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What to Expect
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6–10 a.m.
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Bird banding
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Over 200 species of birds have been seen at the Fernald Preserve. Join an expert bird bander as he uses nets to trap, identify, and band birds. Once the nets are in place, walk along with the bander as he collects and identifies birds, gathers data, and bands the birds before releasing them.
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7–10 a.m.
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Grassland birding
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Join a local expert during a leisurely drive, and walk through the prairies in search of bobolinks, dickcissels, Henslow’s sparrows, and grasshopper sparrows as you locate and identify the many species of grassland birds that inhabit the Fernald Preserve.
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Woodland birding
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See scarlet tanagers, rose-breasted grosbeaks, and a variety of flycatchers and thrushes as you hike through the Preserve’s forests in search of woodland bird species. This activity will require some off-trail hiking along the Paddys Run corridor.
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8–11 a.m.
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Southern site walk
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On this 2-mile walk, view the variety of birds, reptiles, amphibians, and vascular plants that live in the diverse habitats comprised by the southern portion of the Preserve.
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8 a.m. –12 p.m.
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North wetland hike
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Join local herpetologists and botanists for a long hike through and wetlands and ponds as you search for and identify the plants and animals that inhabit the Preserve.
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9–11 a.m.
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Coverboard hike
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Coverboards will be placed at strategic locations throughout the Lodge Pond Trail before the BioBlitz begins and will be removed during this 2-mile walk, revealing the creatures that took shelter underneath. What you might find is anyone’s guess. Snakes, voles, and mice are just a few of the species you can expect to see.
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10 a.m. –12 p.m.
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Coverboard hike
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Coverboards will be placed at strategic locations throughout the Lodge Pond Trail before the BioBlitz begins and will be removed during this 2-mile walk, revealing the creatures that took shelter underneath. What you might find is anyone’s guess. Snakes, voles, and mice are just a few of the species you can expect to see. Coverboards will be placed at strategic locations throughout the Lodge Pond Trail.
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Small mammals
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During this 1-mile walk, check traps and locate the animals that reside at the lower end of the food chain. Meadow voles, house mice, lemmings, and other small mammals provide food for the many predators that reside at the Preserve.
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11 a.m. –1 p.m.
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Turtle, amphibian traps
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During this outing, join local experts as they check turtle and amphibian traps to identify the variety of species of turtles found in the ponds and wetlands at the Preserve.
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1–3 p.m.
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Dip netting
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Discover the variety of species that reside in the Preserve’s waters as you use dip nets to probe the site’s wetlands for invertebrates and crustaceans.
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1–4 p.m.
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Fish seining
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Accompany local experts as they seine Paddys Run to find and identify fish, crustaceans, amphibians, and a variety of invertebrates.
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2–5 p.m.
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Forest hike
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This will be an off-trail hike with a professional botanist who will identify trees, shrubs, and other vascular plants on the western forests of the Preserve.
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Prairie hike
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Inventory the flowers and grasses in several prairies, and encounter many species of grassland nesting birds.
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3–5 p.m.
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Butterfly walk
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Join a lepidopterist on a walk through grasslands and wetlands as you net and identify the butterflies at the Preserve.
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General birding hike
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Check the prairies, wetlands, and forest habitats for as many species as you can identify during this driving tour of the Preserve.
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