Austin Dam Bioblitz May 29-30, 2009

How We Became BioBlitzed.

Ruins of the giant Bayless Pulp and Paper Company Dam form the centerpiece for Austin Dam Memorial Park. The dam broke in 1911, sending a torrent of water and logs crashing through the Borough of Austin, located about a mile downstream. The disaster killed 78 people and destroyed much of the town. Austin Dam Memorial Park, connects to property owned by the Patterson Lumber Company, which connects to the Bayless Pulp and Paper Company property owned by Austin Borough. The area is about two miles long and about a thousand feet wide. Freeman Run, a coldwater native trout stream runs the length of the site, passing through a variety of wetland habitats, past vernal pools and permanent natural ponds, spring seeps and gushing Cartesian spring pools, rocky areas and dense brushy patches, old growth meadows and limestone ruins. It's all framed by hardwoods -- and, it's LOADED! Absolutely primed for a biodivesity study. Arthur Metzger, a science teacher at Austin Area School District, hosted a visit by Sally Schach and Matt Trump, state educators for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. When asked how to engage students and try to get a handle on all of the forms of life at the dam Sally said, "How about a Bioblitz?” Dominion Resources, based in Richmond, VA, liked the concept and provided a grant through the Dominion Foundation. The blitz will be open to the public and interested student groups from many schools and universities. The effort of recruiting a science team turned out to be easy. We found plenty of folks from universities, conservation organizations and museums who were eager to help. And-- the more the merrier!

Welcome to the new blog for the Austin Dam Bio Blitz. Updates coming soon!

A Giant Thank You For All of the Life At the Austin Dam Bioblitz!!!

Thank you to all of the bright, talented and sharing scientists, students, teachers, volunteers, naturalists, musicians and sponsors, who made the Austin Dam BioBlitz a huge success. The quality level, interest level and fun levels were all off the chart! The sharing, working together, teaching, listening, and interactions were priceless. And the data generated is impressive, interesting and valuable.
Check in here for a report about the findings that are still being received and compiled.
Lizards, a snake out of place, a little water bear, at least one rare caterpillar, an interesting cat photo, bird data, some little- known fish info, bat diversity, some missing trees and a tree found are among the highlights that will be reported. And the jury is still out on the amazing spider and milliped findings and some of the insect data generated by kids and grownups with sweep nets and collecting jars working in combination with a team of dedicated scientists with the help of University of Pittsburgh at Bradford's Science in Motion.
Whew!! Thank you All!!!

BioBlitz Schedule

6:00 AM to 8:30 AM-- Breakfast for science team

9:00 AM, Friday, May 29 through 3:00 P.M. Saturday, May 30-- Thirty hours of active searching for life. All under the direction of the stars of our program- a talented team of scientists and naturalists. The public is welcome for the duration

Friday- 8:30 AM-9:00AM -- Orientation
9:00 AM-9:45 AM Choose from an interesting variety of hands-on, boots on , microscopes on workshops!
Too many to list but-- seine for fish, join a moss and liverwort scavenger hunt with a search for creatures swimming in their water film, bird banding/mist netting, search for aquatic macroinvertebrates, botany walkabout, computer imaging of bird sounds. Or -- you can choose to observe or help our science team.
9:45-10:30 AM-- More workshops, hikes activities-- You will have to be there to believe the variety. Tough choices for all to make. -- First public viewing of photos and videos from an entensive camera setup by Pix Controllers. Spiders, amphibians, reptiles, moths and butterflies, hands-on labs from Science in Motion, stream shocking for fish, and more. Or just hang with the scientists.
10:30 to 11:30-- Join a search team in the field or in the study tent.
11:30 to 12:00 Lunch break for school students and scientists.
12:00 to 2:00 Workshop choices and time with search activities
2:00 P.M. A break for all for a "Thank You" to Dominion Resources, other contributos and our volunteers.

2:30 P.M. Austin Students Return to School

Bioblitz Continues

6:00 PM-- Dinner for Science Team

7:00 P.M. Evening Activities Begin-- And will run until late at night.

Among the activites will be-- Bat monitoring, spider hunt, night bird song recording, owl calling, Moth/Butterfly/Insect luring, amphibian calling, night photography, live music and more.

Saturday, May 30

6:00 AM--- 8:30 Breakfast for Science Team

9:00 AM to 3:00 PM -- A day of workshops, sharing of information, collecting withe the public invited to watch, listen and join in to help.

3:30 P.M. Closing Activity with presentation of interesting findings.

Dr. Brady Porter

Brady a professor from Duquesne University is part of an energetic, and bioblitz experienced contingent from Pittsburgh. He's no stranger to Potter County. Part of his research work has included a study of differences between native fishes whose populations once swam in common waters but were separated by decline of the last great glacier. Keating Summit, where the Mississippi and Chesapeake Bay watersheds meet, was a focal point for some of his research efforts. Those who have worked with Brady on several bioblitzes in the Pittsburgh area say he is a great showman in addition to being a serious scientist.

"What is a BioBlitz?" From Connecticut Museum of Natural History

WHAT IS A BIOBLITZ?

by Dr. Ellen Censky

The first step in conducting a BioBlitz is

to determine why you want to do a

BioBlitz. What are the objectives? The

BioBlitz is a great tool for educating the

public about the diverse array of species in

an area. The BioBlitz will not give you a

complete inventory of species; it’s just a

“snapshot” of what species occur in the

area. If you want an inventory, there are

more comprehensive techniques.

Designed as part contest, part festival, part

educational event, part scientific endeavor,

the Connecticut BioBlitz brings together

scientists in a race against time to see how

many species they can count in a 24-hour

biological survey of a Connecticut park.

The public is invited to observe the

scientists’ activities, to interact with them,

and to participate in other activities that are

presented by the Museum and a host of

invited nature-oriented organizations

The BioBlitz is designed to increase the

public’s awareness of the variety of life in

their immediate neighborhood and the

services these various species provide to

improve the quality of their lives. We

usually hear the word “biodiversity” in

regard to rainforests with their vast

number of species. Yet the diversity of life

in our own backyards is phenomenal. We

take for granted clean water, fertile soil,

and air to breathe. Yet these are all the

result of working ecosystems filled with

species that perform these tasks. From our

morning shower to our late night snack,

we are supported by biodiversity every

minute of the day. What better way to

address the topic than to invite people to

share in our 24-hours of discovery and to

experience the vast array of species that

we can find in their neighborhood park in

just one cycle of the day?

The BioBlitz is an excellent tool for

exciting children about science. This event

generates energy and enthusiasm among

scientists and lay people alike. It is rare for

biologists from many disciplines to have

the opportunity to get together, share their

passions with each other and the public,

and work toward a single common goal.

This event is designed to capitalize on that

and to encourage interaction with

scientists at the “base camp.” The “base

camp” is the hub of the BioBlitz. It is a

centralized tent equipped with

microscopes, computers, and other tools of

the trade. This is where identifications take

place, species are recorded, and the tally of

species is recorded. Inside the tent, one

parent enthusiastically commented about

the event, “If I had attended an event like

this when I was his age”, pointing to her

four-year-old son who was busily sorting

moths in one of the entomologist’s pans,

“I probably would have become a

scientist. I just never knew that anything

like this existed.”

The BioBlitz also generates a list of

species found in the park, a first step in

successful park management. The BioBlitz

has the potential to identify species that

should be monitored or controlled. It may

also identify unique aspects of the park

that might otherwise not have been known.

This information along with

recommendations from the scientists is

supplied to the park and the city. Imagine

the cost of hiring 168 experts to conduct a

survey and make recommendations for

park management!

Austin Dam Bioblitz May 29-30, 2009

How We Became BioBlitzed.

The Science Team

Dominion Resources

Informational Links of Interest

Monday, February 2, 2009

Bodacious Byrophyte

A Giant Thank You For All of the Life At the Austin Dam Bioblitz!!!

BioBlitz Schedule

See You At the BioBlitz!

We'll Look Different in May!

Dr. Tim Pearce and a Museum Mollusk

Which way to the vernal pool party?

Dr. Brady Porter

"What is a BioBlitz?" From Connecticut Museum of Natural History

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