Have you ever wondered what types of plants or insects or wildlife use an area? From foraging to nesting or shelter during migration stopovers, you’d be astounded to how many different organisms use a natural space.
One of the quickest ways to obtain species presence data within a certain habitat is to perform a bioblitz. A bioblitz is a community science effort to record as many species as possible within a designated location within a certain timeframe. Bioblitzes are a great way to connect with your local environment and acquire a new appreciation for the organisms that call it home.
The coastal chapter of Mississippi Master Naturalist is hosting a “Coastal Biodiversity Day and Bioblitz” event on Saturday, August 3, 2024, at Camp Wilkes in Biloxi, Mississippi. Learn from local naturalists, wildlife ecologists, scientists and coastal restoration experts about the different organisms as they are found and identified.
The bioblitz can be done at your own pace, or you can choose to join an education identification station’s working group for a guided walk during the bioblitz. These stations will be divided based on different specimen groups such as plants, wildflowers, insects, birds, herpetofauna (snake, frogs, lizards!), trees and more. All identified species will be recorded on the iNaturalist app. The goal of this event is to provide an engaging bioblitz that will connect the participants to their local environment in a unique and fun way while also increasing conservation awareness. Data generated from this event is particularly useful for local research, conservation and management efforts.
The Mississippi Master Naturalists Program is proud to be selected as one of the CITGO and Restore America’s Estuaries 2023 recipients of the Caring for our Coast Grant. Thanks to this generous support, we can host this bioblitz to promote the conservation of our coastal wildlife and habitats.
If you would like to host an education station or receive event information and updates, please contact me by email. You can also follow the Mississippi Master Naturalists on Facebook for event updates. Please note that the bioblitz location is subject to change.
Mississippi Master Naturalists course updates:
The central chapter course is currently underway, and the coastal course will take place Sept. 6-Oct. 18. The coastal course is hybrid format with online lectures and weekly fieldtrips that cover topics such as coastal ecology, marine fisheries, ornithology and habitat management. Participants must be 18 years or older.
Registration for the coastal course will be opening soon! Keep an eye on the Mississippi Master Naturalists course page to sign up, or if you would like to be added to the waitlist to be notified when registration for the coastal course opens, please reach out to me ([email protected]).
Meet the author
Mandy Rigsby
Ecotourism and Stewardship Specialist
As part of our Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium Engagement Team, Mandy Rigsby works with nature-based tourism businesses to connect visitors to local nature and its wildlife. She also... Read more
Phone: 228-546-1020
Email: [email protected]