Arts & Sciences Events

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[PAST EVENT] VIMS @ Colonial World Nature Conservation Day BioBlitz 2024!

July 20, 2024
8am - 12pm
Location
New Quarter Park, 1000 Lakeshead Dr, Williamsburg, VA 23185
Access & Features
  • Open to the public
  • Registration/RSVP
indoors, inside, people, students, crim dell, science, test tubes

The Colonial Soil & Water Conservation District, in partnership with York County Parks and Recreation, and the Historic Rivers Chapter of the Virginia Master Naturalist program is organizing the Colonial World Nature Conservation Day BioBlitz at New Quarter Park to celebrate World Nature Conservation Day. The event is open to individuals of all ages (under 18 require a guardian) and skill levels, welcoming both seasoned nature enthusiasts and newcomers eager to learn about the natural world.

As participants explore the park's different habitats, they are encouraged to observe and document any living organisms they encounter and to upload their photographs to a specific iNaturalist project using the iNaturalist mobile phone application. All of these photographs and notes will be stored in the iNaturalist database and the data will then be available to scientists and to the park.

The event will be an immersive and exciting educational experience that celebrates the park's rich biodiversity. During this BioBlitz, participants will have the opportunity to explore the diverse habitats of New Quarter Park, including its forests, wetlands, meadows, and the scenic Queens Creek.

Knowledgeable experts from: 

  • Colonial Soil and Water Conservation District
  • York County Parks and Recreation
  • Historic Rivers Chapter of the Virginia Master Naturalists
  • Virginia Institute of Marine Science
  • James City County Master Gardeners
  • John Clayton Chapter of the Virginia Native Plant Society
  • Coastal Virginia Wildlife Observatory
  • Department of Environmental Quality
  • Williamsburg Birding Club
  • Williamsburg Botanical Gardens
  • Virginia Department of Forestry
  • and more will be on site to provide an overview of the BioBlitz objectives and provide guidance on how to identify and document the various species encountered throughout the day.

We will have a scavenger hunt for all interested participants that includes an assortment of plants, animals, and fungi to try and locate while you are in the park. For each organism you observe you can keep track in iNaturalist and on your scavenger hunt checklist and if you finish the hunt you will win a prize! There will be a special prize for the first person who completes it and there will be prizes and giveaways for other activities, including a passport that you can get stamped by visiting the different organizations' educational booths.

In addition to species surveys, the BioBlitz will offer other engaging activities throughout the day, including:

  • macroinvertebrate sampling and identification
  • plant walks and identification
  • discussions about the the wide world of pollinators
  • learning about fish diversity
  • talking about how to make your yard into a pollinator habitat
  • bird walks and identification
  • learning about our local watershed
  • opportunities to ask all of your gardening questions
  • talking to experts clouds and climate
  • insect sampling and identification
  • learning about erosion
  • and more!





































Sponsored by: VIMS Advancement

Contact

Kristen Sharpe, VIMS Outreach, 804-684-7069, [[v|knsharpe]]