We BioBlitzed Montpelier!

On July 11 and 12, for exactly 24 hours, more than 150 biologists, naturalists and other curious folks gathered in Montpelier, Vermont, to discover every living thing they could find. It was the first-ever BioBlitz of a state capital.

What’s a BioBlitz?
BioBlitzes are a blend of science, celebration, education, community, and loads of fun. Scientists and ordinary citizens fan out to find orchids and otters, ferns and frogs, birds and butterflies, lichens and liverworts. Anything living is fair game. And it all happens in one 24-hour period.

The Montpelier BioBlitz
BioBlitzes typically cover a park or nature preserve. The Montpelier BioBlitz covered the entire city. It was a city-wide nature festival: landowners discovering the flowers and birds on their property; school children learning science and the natural gifts within their community; guest lectures on nature; and the city’s restaurants and other merchants joining the celebration.The official BioBlitz clock ran from July 11 at 3pm untiil July 12 at 3 pm. We ended the event with a huge barbecue supper where we produced a preliminary tally all the species we found.

So Many Species. So Little Time.

Slideshow images © Jim Deshler, Mitch Moraski, Bryan Pfeiffer