Bioblitz 2012
1 September 2012 - 6:00pm — anonymous spotter
Bioblitz 2012
NEXT:
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KWAZULU-NATAL
Bill Barnes Crane Reserve 1 December
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WESTERN CAPE
Done for season
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Bioblitz 2012
SANBI has received funding from the Department of Science and Technology to conduct a series of exciting iSpot ‘Bioblitzes’ across the country during the spring/summer of 2012.
A Bioblitz is an event that engages large numbers of people with biodiversity, inviting them to get directly involved in surveying and monitoring. During a Bioblitz, experts and members of the public come together to explore their local outdoors to collectively seek for, identify and record as many species as possible and upload these observations onto the SANBI iSpot website.
If you are a keen nature enthusiast then come join the fun of a Bioblitz! The schedule for the year follows in the table below.
If you would like a Bioblitz in your area, please contact us.
Bioblitzes:
- Place Date
- Wolfgat Nature Reserve 25 August
- Harmony Flats Nature Reserve 9 September
- Mamre Commonage 15 September
- Voelvlei Nature Reserve & Elandsberg Private Nature Reserve 16 September
- Riverlands Nature Reserve, Malmesbury area 7 October
- Romansrivier / Tulbagh 21 October
- Rondevlei Nature Reserve 27 October
- Vernon Crookes Nature Reserve 26-27 October
- Silvermine Nature Reserve 4 November
- Entumeni Nature Reserve 10 November
- Northpark Nature Reserve 18 November
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For more information please contact:
Western Cape:
Ismail at I.Ebrahim@sanbi.org.za or 076 475 5321
or
KZN:
Suvarna at S.Parbloo@sanbi.org.za or 082 354 5649
To see results of previous Bioblitzes please see http://www.ispot.org.za/bioblitz
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| advert_ispot_BBCOR_Page_1.jpg | 150.96 KB |
| Silverglen NR bioblitz invite.jpg | 144.92 KB |
| Table mountain area bioblitz invite.jpg | 137.49 KB |
Comments
Season
Winter might be peak flowering for many shrubs, but the bulk of the rare species, including many bulbs, flower in spring. So August (is this winter?) to October is peak flowering, and the best time to see species in flower. May and June are too early: hardly anything in flower.
And in a wet year, the later the better the flowers are. Its only really in very dry years that August is the best month.
Bioblitz
What is the main objective of a Bioblitz? Is it:
1. to identify and record as many species as possible or
2.to record rare species within a specific area in one day?
Johan Potgieter
Aim of a Bioblitz
A bioblitz does not have one aim. The aims are:
* To showcase to the public the biodiversity at a site.
* To provide a platform where experts and locals - who typically will never interact - can meet to discuss biodiversity.
* To create an awareness among locals of the significance of their conservation area and introduce them to management staff and volunteers, around the theme of the biodiversity in the site.
* To allow managers, students, experts and laymen to interact around issues and species at a site.
* To contribute to the species lists and awareness of the biodiversity significance of the site.
* To provide a record of the species seen on the day(s) on iSpot, as a entry to the diversity of the site.
* To assist CREW and Friends teams with any monitoring or species' searches that they may be doing, and to involve more people in these groups and monitoring.
* A bioblitz is NOT about numbers or competitions. Of course, the more that is recorded the more interesting things will be discovered. And the better the resource will be.
* A bioblitz is not just about rare species, but about anything that might be interesting. Including aliens, pests, biocontrols, specials, rares, threatened Red List species and the people who interact with these throughout the rest of the year.
* A bioblitz is typically one day or occ. a weekend and even sometimes a longer period. And they can be repeated at a site seasonally, annually, or coupled with some other event.
* A bioblitz is not just a list or set of photographs, but a collection of experiences and stories and interesting information as a resource to the local community and reserve managers.
* A bioblitz is not a race to put on all observations on the day. Some bioblitzes only get finished months later. But the focus and observations are those made on that day.
Bioblitz
Thanks for clearing this up for me, as a newcomer to this I would like to know as much as possible of the approaches taken to conserve our natural assets and how members of the public can participate.
From what I can deduct from the coming Bioblitzes is that it must be a relatively small area to be covered?
Johan Potgieter
relatively small area.
No, not at all. Anysberg or Kruger are acceptable.
Its just that to get community involvement, focus so far has been on reserves with large local communities within walking distance. With more experience we can go bigger.
And we a waiting for our cellphone app ...
eg. Wild Magazine
If you wanted to involve a greater sector of the "public", targeting National Parks and/or Provincial Nature Reserves could be done very effectively through their newsletters and other publicity media - and in this context the Wild Card programme would be a good entry point.
But the "on the ground" community is the most important group to engage, and here the local organisations that are creating environmental awareness among school kids and other "friends" groups etc. would be the key.
Well done to the iSpot organisiers for all the hard work in making everything happen
Marketing iSpot
I have tried getting a story into various enviro mags without luck. I have now passed on comms to the marketing dept...
I read in my local paper,
I read in my local paper, Barberton Times, that there is going to be a Bioblitz within the next few days in the Mountainlands Reserve. Why is it not advertised here?
I would LOVE to participate in the event, and I know a few very knowledgeable people too
not an iSpot Bioblitz
Sorry, this is not an iSpot Bioblitz but a closed shop at a luxury resourt. The advert can be seen here: http://www.looklocal.co.za/looklocal/content/en/lowveld/lowveld-news-gen...
Bioblitz
Hi
I would suggest a bioblitz in the Velddrift/Saldanha/Langebaan area and would like to participate as it seems getting involved with CREW is problematic in this area.
Just one question, why not do a Bioblitz in the winter in the Western Cape, surely this is the time when most of the flowers are in bloom?
Johan Potgieter
Johan Potgieter