BioBlitz Set to Tally Jamaica Bay's Flora and Fauna - News:
Queens College researchers will stage the first BioBlitz Friday and will descend to the wildest reaches of New York City to conduct a round-the-clock tally of flora and fauna for the Jamaica Bay area.This event, co-sponsored by Queens College, the Jamaica Bay Institute, the CUNY Institute for Sustainable Cities, the Gateway National Recreation Area of National Park Service and the North Atlantic Coast Cooperative Ecosystems Studies Unit, is set to last 24 hours and researchers will be equipped with nets and insect repellents, in addition to their notebooks.
Professor John Waldman from the biology department and professor Gillian Stewart from the earth and environmental sciences department organized this event, which targets thousands of acres within the Gateway National Recreation Area, between the borders of New York and New Jersey.
Although Jamaica Bay may be an urban location, it is rich in wildlife, consisting of red foxes, horseshoe crabs and invasive species such as Western jackrabbits. Jamaica Bay simultaneously serves as a major flyover area for hundreds of migrating visitors such as hawks, ospreys and monarch butterflies.
According to professor Waldman, in an effort to document Jamaica Bay's biodiversity, the researchers are going with a team of different specialists in plants and animals to survey a plot of land. It may be a "quick and dirty look" of what is already there; however, it will enable the scientists to account for a future baseline.
Planners of the event hope that this event will raise awareness of biodiversity. New York City Councilmember James Gennaro, who has played an important role in preserving New York City's water supply, is set to speak at the event. In addition to Gennaro, Barry Sullivan, the superintendent of the Gateway National Recreation Area, and Kim Tripp, the director of the Jamaica Bay Institute will address the participants.
The schedule of activities on Friday evening and Saturday morning will include guided field walks, workshops on sketching plants and animals in the wild and even a junior BioBlitz for children. Professional naturalists will be staking out various parts of the park in four-hour shifts.
Upon returning to the wildlife center, they will file their regular reports. Their findings, which will include a final species count, will be revealed at the closing ceremonies where Congressman Anthony Weiner will serve as a guest speaker. Weiner has made Gateway one of his top priorities and has secured $66 million for the park since his election in 1998.
There are a limited number of positions available for volunteers, who are expected to bring their own water and snacks, and no bedding will be provided. Luckily, camping will be permitted at Floyd Bennett Field.
"If you can attend the event, you should," said senior Alexandrea Bowman. "This event is especially important as the ecosystem of Jamaica Bay has been seriously disrupted. A lot of the marsh has been lost in the past 100 years. Surveys like this one are needed for remediation."
