By: Samantha Young, Education Manager
Fresh from the afterglow of a successful event, Anza-Borrego Foundation (ABF) successfully planned and executed our first annual Anza-Borrego Desert BioBlitz. I’m not going to lie; it took many hours of planning and the tremendous help of a large staff and volunteers, but I think we pulled off something worthwhile. Hikes were hiked, organisms were observed, participants scienced, and good humor and vibes were maintained throughout the event.
If you’re just tuning in to this large event that closed out our desert season, Anza-Borrego Foundation teamed up with Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and UC Irvine Steele/Burnand Anza-Borrego Desert Research Center to host a BioBlitz in the Park, as part of the larger City Nature Challenge. The BioBlitz and City Nature Challenge is an effort to document as many living things as possible using the iNaturalist app from Friday, April 26, to Monday, April 29. It’s also an effort to engage the public in science and connect children and adults to our wondrous natural ecosystems.
ABF hosted five hikes on Friday night and five hikes on Saturday morning, all led by State Park scientists and experienced naturalist volunteers to give you an idea of what the two-day event looked like. We organized free camping for participants, an engaging, festive-like atmosphere at the UCI Research Center with literature to peruse, retail items for sale, an opportunity drawing, a touch table with animal skulls and pelts, and yummy food for everyone. And despite some very aggressive winds on Friday night but very reasonable April temperatures, we had 88 people attend throughout the weekend, 29 of whom it was their first time to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park! With the help of Thirteen volunteers, eleven State Park Staff Scientists, four ABF staff members, and over $1,000 of donated goods, we are excited to report that 2,501 observations were made on iNaturalist, identifying 517 unique species.
I’ll repeat my initial statement that it was a success through and through.
At ABF, our goal is to support the State Park by connecting people to the wondrous desert ecosystem, and we have done just that. Not only by inviting seasoned desert folk to contribute to a large scientific effort, but also by welcoming newcomers who will no-doubt be back, and directly connecting the nature-curious to the scientists who manage this incredible and vast landscape.
Thank you to our sponsors: Grocery Outlet, Costco, Desert Lovers & Co, Borrego Outfitters, Bighorn Fudge, Sixth Street Coffee, and Chico Bag.
