"Blossom where you are planted", I heard Angela Davis say, in a documentary I watched a few years ago. Having being a bit of a gypsy myself, living in different cities and countries, I could relate to the idea of bettering the community I currently find myself in, regardless of how long I planned to stay.
This became some sort of a motto for me: "leave each place better than you found it", even if your impact is small, and goes unnoticed. The idea to organize Corvallis' 1st BioBlitz came from this urge to give something back to a community that welcomed me with open arms.
A BioBlitz seemed like the perfect event to organize. It magically combines my own research interests with community engagement. It promotes biophilia and citizen science and brings nature-lovers from all ages and backgrounds together. BioBlitzes also help to bridge academia and the public, and to popularize and democratize science, another issue dear to my heart.
For those who are not familiar with the term, a BioBlitz is an intensive day of biological survey. Commonly held in public spaces, it is a family-friendly event that (1) teaches communities about the importance of citizen science, (2) helps communities to (re)connect with nature, and (3) is a great excuse for some outdoors fun. No skills are required from participants, who are welcomed by different specialists who facilitate their engagement with natural history and the collection and identification of specimens.
The first event, on May 28th 2017, was so successful that, in 2018, we organized the second edition, with a richer program, more experts, more volunteers and almost twice as many participants, all facilitated by securing better funding. The second Corvallis BioBlitz took place on June 3rd, 2018, my last Spring at Oregon State University.
In both years we followed a similar recipe. We had a loosely planned schedule, starting early in the morning with a bird-banding activity, followed by a communal breakfast. During coffee, we had an official opening spiel, and participants were then invited to join different activities. Options included the 'insect extravaganza', looking for amphibians in the nearby flooded areas, and opening of camera traps that surveyed elusive mammals during the night.
Honoring the importance of ArtScience collaborations, an Art Booth was included in the program. Decorated with scientific illustrations, it invited attendants to paint their favorite creatures.
Following other students' and professors' requests, I produced a Step-by-step Guide to organizing a BioBlitz, to facilitate the continuity of what seems to be now a community tradition, to celebrate local biodiversity. The BioBlitz 2019 is currently being organized, which gives me a lot of joy: the idea that a seed I planted more than two years ago is growing into a community tradition.
Short reports for each year, and the step-by-step to organizing a BioBlitz are available upon request. I will be more than happy to share my experiences, if you want to learn more about BioBlitzes or even organize one in your community! Message me if you would like to see: the BioBlitz Corvallis 2017 Report; the BioBlitz Corvallis 2018 Report, or the Step-by-Step to Organizing a BioBlitz.
Both events were student-led initiatives and had the financial and logistical support of the OSU Forest Biodiversity Research Network, Student Sustainability Initiative, and Oregon State Arthropod Collection.
