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 Sylvio
Codella is looking for a few good bugs. While he and his teams
are combing the woods of Union County this weekend searching for
insects of all shapes and sizes, Daniela Shebitz' teams will be
looking for all sorts of plant life. Eric Boehm's crews will be
in search of fungi; and all the while, a phalanx of scientists
and volunteers will go in search of birds, mammals, amphibians
-- just about everything short of Big Foot.
Bio-Blitz 2009 kicks off
Friday at 5 p.m. and runs though Saturday evening. The 24-hour
event, the fifth sponsored by Union County, is an intensive
effort to measure the biodiversity of a targeted section of
county parkland by surveying the plant and animal life, said
Betty Ann Kelly, an environmental specialist with the county
parks department who coordinates the annual event.
The event, which
includes numerous programs for adults and children, will be held
in Briant Park, which is also serving as the base station to
coordinate all activities, as well as Hidden Valley Park and the
old Houdaille Quarry. The quarry and most of Hidden Valley are
in Springfield, while Briant Park is in Summit. Details can be
found on the web at www.ucnj.org/parks/bioblitz.html
or by calling 908-789-3209.
The event marks the
fifth year that the county, in cooperation with Kean
University's Institute of Urban Ecosystem Studies,
has focused on a county park for the intensive study. Last year,
the study focused on the Elizabeth River Parkway in Elizabeth,
Union and Hillside, where 570 species of plants and animals were
identified.
One of the highlights of
this year's Bio-Blitz is the quarry, which is normally closed to
the public. There are going to be several guided hikes through
the quarry, along with a "coyote howl" late Friday
night when scientists will see if any of the coyotes that have
returned to the northern edge of the county respond to simulated
coyote calls.
Shebitz is particularly
excited about the opportunity to study the quarry this year.
Boehm said he hoped
visitors to Bio-Blitz would go away with a deeper appreciation
of nature and the ecosystems they live in, not to mention the
need to maintain and protect water resources and green space.
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