|
|
June 11, 2008
HPWREN Collaborates with National Park Service for the 2008 National Geographic Bioblitz Species Inventory in the Santa Monica Mountains of Southern California
By Kimberly Bruch, HPWREN The HPWREN team participated in the annual National Geographic Bioblitz Species Inventory on May 30-31 with collaborators from the National Park Service (NPS) California Mediterranean Research Learning Center, Santa Monica Mountains Recreation Area, and the Cabrillo National Monument. Event participants ranged from scientists and educators to K-12 students and general community members in the Santa Monica Mountains Recreation Area. In addition to participating in the National Geographic Bioblitz on May 30-31, HPWREN network administrator Jim Hale played an instrumental role in assisting the NPS with the set-up of a wireless area network prior to the event. The wireless network allowed scientists and data entry specialists to efficiently upload and download data regarding collected species during the two-day inventory of the area.
While Kim Bruch led the HPWREN/NPS junior roving science activity at the Paramount Ranch site, Jim Hale and Susan Teel (Director of the California Mediterranean Research Learning Center) simultaneously led an activity at another inventory site - Malibu Lagoon. The lagoon activity allowed participants to control and experiment with the ROV (Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicle).
Another HPWREN/NPS collaboratory activity involved a demonstration between the Paramount Ranch Education Pavilion and the inventory tent. Using the LIVE backpack, two park rangers from the NPS Cabrillo National Monument (Chief of Science Andrea Compton and Marine Biologist Benjamin Pister) took the pavilion audience on a tour of the species inventory tent - allowing the pavilion audience to ask questions in real-time.
More than 6000 people participated in the event (including 1400 school children, 1100 people on inventories and 2500-3000 people at Paramount Ranch). By the end of the day on May 31, 1364 species had been identified and more will be identified as scientists continue to analyze the collected critters. Details are found at http://www.nationalgeographic.com/field/projects/bioblitz.html. |