Bioblitz Frequently Asked Questions
When is BioBlitz? March 28-29, 2014
Where are the Golden Gate National Parks? The Golden Gate National Parks
span three San Francisco Bay Area counties, and encompass over 80,000 acres and 91
miles of shoreline, with the official park boundary a quarter mile from shore. The parks
more iconic sites include Alcatraz Island, Muir Woods National Monument, the Presidio
and the Marin Headlands. The Golden Gate National Parks contain precious remnant
habitats and threatened and endangered species that have largely disappeared
elsewhere in the region. They are part of the UNESCO Golden Gate Biosphere Reserve
and lie within a region that the Nature Conservancy and Conservation International have
named one of 25 global biodiversity hotspots.
Inventories will take place in a diverse array of park habitats—from the redwood canopy
to the ocean floor—at park sites in Marin, San Francisco and San Mateo Counties (see
enclosed map). The ecological heterogeneity of this park affords many opportunities to
catalog, record, collect and study diverse organisms, ecological interactions and
biodiversity on a range of spatial and temporal scales. The park is also an excellent place
for long-term field research and we hope the BioBlitz will introduce you to
professionally valuable opportunities to conduct research in the park.
What is the taxonomic focus of the event? We hope to inventory a breadth of
taxonomic groups including vascular and non-vascular plants, fungi, aquatic and
terrestrial invertebrates, birds, mammals, fish, reptiles and amphibians. Inventory
methods depend on the expertise of biologists like you, but we anticipate activities such
as light-trapping insects, identifying bats with ultrasonic sensors, and trawling in the San
Francisco Bay. We are particularly interested in documenting our non-vascular plant and
invertebrate diversity; both groups have been relatively understudied in the park.
What is the Biodiversity Festival? Concurrent with the BioBlitz inventories, we will
host a Biodiversity Festival at Crissy Field that will include public presentations about
biodiversity, structured field exercises with K-12 classes and teachers, demonstrations of
field technology, and exhibits ranging from global biodiversity to local nature
photography.
How is BioBlitz organized? The central feature of BioBlitz is a basecamp that
includes a facility (open to the public) with tables and chairs, and electrical power where
scientists can work and where data entry from the inventories takes place. Other
facilities at the basecamp include a public stage for opening and closing ceremonies and
performances, exhibit booths reserved by scientific and educational organizations, and
classroom and tent space for school groups and food services.
Basecamp for Golden Gate’s BioBlitz will be at Crissy Field for the public festival, and the
Crissy Field Center will be our data center. Smaller satellite festivals and data entry
stations will be established in the Marin Headlands and near our San Mateo County
inventory sites.
Inventories on Friday, March 28th will be largely oriented towards school and youth
groups, with more general public-oriented inventories on Saturday the 29th. Inventories
start at noon on Friday and end at noon on Saturday, though there will be opportunities
for pre-inventory work such as setting insect or camera traps, installing specialized gear
or other things that require advanced set-up or preparation.
All inventories are by registration only, and will not be open to walk-ins. Inventory
teams will consist of an expert lead supported by an education or outreach specialist,
and will be scheduled in regular time blocks (~ 2–4 hours). Most groups will meet
directly at the inventory site.
Which biologists should participate? Any professional or trained and
experienced amateur who can lead people safely in the field, find and identify species
(by sight, under a microscope, with a dichotomous key, etc…), and is willing to share his
or her enthusiasm is welcome. Past BioBlitzes have included academics, museum staff,
members of amateur naturalist societies, public agency scientists, employees of
environmental consulting firms and advanced graduate students.
What do biologists do at a BioBlitz? Biologists can participate by doing one or
more of the following: leading field teams of public volunteers, identifying and
photographing species in the field and at base camp, collecting and preparing new
voucher specimens for curation, working with school groups and teachers in structured
field class settings, interpreting activities and findings to the public and media,
describing your own work and career, etc… You may also conduct inventories by
yourself or with just your professional peers, but we do ask that you involve the public
on at least one of your trips into the field.
Do I need to bring field supplies? We will provide some basic field gear for
inventory participants such as rubber boots, insects nets and field notebooks. Scientists
should bring whatever field gear is ordinarily used to find and identify species (traps,
nets, camera, microscopes, taxonomic keys, field guides, etc…). At the basecamp, we
will provide tables, chairs, general lighting, power and some laptop computers
dedicated to data entry. If you have a particular need for equipment and supplies please
let us know well in advance of the BioBlitz.
Can I collect specimens? Yes. We will provide a list of known species in the park
and a blanket permit for all registered scientists that will allow destructive collection of
non-vertebrate organisms. While we recognize that some taxa must be collected and
killed for identification purposes, we generally encourage capture and release or photo
documentation. We will not be allowing collection of vertebrates during the BioBlitz,
except for animals that are already dead. Our goal is to minimize the mortality of
organisms in the park.
Please note that specimens collected from National Park Service lands for the purpose
of curation are NPS property, but may be loaned for long-term curation in an approved
facility (e.g. a natural history museum). We will provide further details and guidance on
collection and loan procedures.
Can I publish my results? Yes, you are free to publish as you see fit (and
encouraged to do so!). Furthermore, popular media, including National Geographic print
and film crews, will be present at the BioBlitz and may wish to interview you about your
activities and discoveries in the field.
Will I be paid? No, unfortunately we cannot pay participants, so your involvement is
voluntary. To recognize your valuable contributions of time and expertise, we will
provide food, gifts and host a dinner for registered experts the night before the BioBlitz
starts.
Do I have to be present for the full 24-hours? No, but we hope you’ll be with us
for many of them! The opening and closing ceremonies (on Friday and Saturday
afternoons) will be festive events where we hope to have as many experts present as
possible. At the closing ceremony, we will ask team leaders to take the stage and
announce their tallies, surprising or valuable finds and tales from the field.
We will have information about hotel and camping accommodations as plans develop
further.