On May 18th and 19th, hundreds of volunteers waded through water, climbed trees, and searched under rocks, leaves, and logs in a concentrated 24-hour effort to locate and classify every living species found in Rock Creek Park. More than 650 park plants and animals were identified during the first annual National Park Service/National Geographic Society “BioBlitz” to be held in the park.
Teams led by specialists and scientists fanned throughout the 1,755-acre national park in Washington, DC, in an attempt to quantify its biological diversity. Participants catalogued a wide variety of creatures who call the park home, from large mammals such as deer to microscopic water bears. The list of species is expected to grow significantly as additional insects and plants collected are identified.
“The community turned out in great numbers to support the park during the BioBlitz,” said superintendent Adrienne Coleman. “The information gathered will provide an incredible database that can be used to make decisions regarding park resources.”
The National Park Service and the National Geographic Society have agreed to co-sponsor a BioBlitz in an urban national park each year through the National Park Service Centennial in 2016. Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area near Los Angeles will host the 2008 event.
