BioBlitz Takes Over Gateway National Park -The Rockaway Wave
Hundreds of scientists, amateur naturalists, birders, students, families and volunteers will make eco-history as they gather at Gateway National Recreation Area’s Floyd Bennett Field from 3 p.m. on Friday, June 11 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, June 12 for BioBlitz 2010 – an intensive 24-hour biological “treasure hunt” to identify and record all species of living organisms in Jamaica Bay and the adjacent areas including Plumb Beach and Dead Horse Bay.
“BioBlitz provides a wonderful opportunity to take a snapshot of the park’s ecosystems and the information we gather can provide a complete picture of the health and longevity of these areas,” noted Gateway Superintendent Barry Sullivan. “By taking a partnership approach to this event, the organizations and colleges involved can all learn more about the richness and biological diversity found at Gateway National Recreation Area.”
The Jamaica Bay BioBlitz, sponsored by The National Park Service in partnership with Brooklyn College, also offers an exiting array of educational and recreational events for young and old alike over the course of the 24-hour event. The Floyd Bennett Field Aviator Center (3159 Flatbush Avenue) will be “Base Camp” and the starting point for all events. The complex will be transformed into a temporary on-site research laboratory where scientists and volunteers will huddle over microscopes working to identify specimens brought in from the field. During the fall 2007 BioBlitz, scientists and volunteers identified 650 different species of birds, bryophytes, fish, mammals, plants and terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates at Jamaica Bay.
Wildlife in NYC? Sure, Lots, Count Shows...The Times Union, Albany, NY
New York City is more known for steel towers and asphalt valleys than its abundant wildlife, but a group of academics, naturalists and rangers have found a surprising variety of nature in one Brooklyn park.
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The count included 209 different types of land and water plants, 164 varieties of bugs and moths, 47 types of bird and dozens of fish and animals.
The survey began Friday afternoon and ended on Saturday.
Researchers at Brooklyn College coordinated the count.
Gateway National Recreation Area Superintendent Barry Sullivan says the findings show how diverse life is, even in an urban environment.
