The Woodlands Township to host community-wide BioBlitz

The Woodlands Township Environmental Services Department invites the community to participate in the first BioBlitz as we celebrate National Pollinator Week, June 22-28, 2020. 

National Pollinator Week was created to bring attention to the declining population of pollinators. At the moment, more than 74 pollinator species are on the federal endangered species list, with hundreds more facing a serious decline. Overuse of pesticides and herbicides, habitat loss and disease are to blame. Pollinator Week has become a world-wide call to action to save bees, birds, butterflies, bats, beetles, and all other pollinators.

Pollinators are a vital component of a functioning ecosystem, responsible for one in every three bites of food we eat and essential to the reproduction of over 80 percent of all flowering plants. To raise awareness of this issue, the Township is hosting a week-long BioBlitz and invites everyone to participate.

A BioBlitz is a community effort to identify as many species as possible during a given time. According to Township Environmental Services Manager John Geiger, “The Bioblitz provides a fun way to learn and share enthusiasm for nature with others. This virtual event encourages residents to explore their backyards, neighborhood parks and ponds and share what plants, animals and insects they find.”

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The Township is using the iNaturalist app as a hosting platform for this BioBlitz. The program is free and easy to use. The iNaturalist website provides video tutorials to help with any questions.

Once  the iNaturalist app has been downloaded, join the community project, ‘The Woodlands Township BioBlitz June 2020’ and start making observations. iNaturalist uses its extensive database to identify observations, helping users learn about the world around them. Observations made during National Pollinator Week, June 22-28, 2020, will be tallied at the end of the week and shared with the community. 

More information on The Woodlands Township Environmental Services Department and environmental programs can be found online at www.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov.

Source: The Woodlands Township

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