Gateway National Recreation Area and the American Littoral Society teamed up again this year to host a BioBlitz at Sandy Hook on September 23-24, 2016. The 2016 Sandy Hook BioBlitz was one of more than 100 being held throughout the National Park System to celebrate the National Park Services’ centennial. This 24 hour event started at 1pm on Friday, September 23, 2016 and concluded at 1pm on Saturday, September 24, 2016. A BioBlitz is a biological inventory where volunteers work alongside scientists and expert naturalists to find and identify as many species as possible over a short time period. It is an opportunity to increase awareness of the diversity of organisms that exist within our park; to become more connected to our surroundings; to increase our understanding of biodiversity; to become empowered to protect the places and spaces where nature exists; and – most importantly – to have fun!! It’s a celebration and exploration of biodiversity!
Scientists/Expert Naturalists and Volunteers reported to the event and went out as teams to conduct surveys. You should register for specific survey times. You are welcome to participate in as many surveys as you want. Volunteers were also needed to assist at the "Base Camp" with general information, registration, food preparation, GIS, photography, and social media.
We used an app called iNaturalist to record species data for the 2016 Sandy Hook BioBlitz. The app gathered data easy and fun - plus you don’t have to be an expert! Just snap and post a picture and experts in that field will review and identify the species. If you want to use your smart phone or tablet and the iNaturalist app, you can create an account at http://www.inaturalist.org/signup (works best if you do it from a computer and not your phone). Once you have an account, you can join the 2016 Sandy Hook BioBlitz (http://www.inaturalist.org/projects/2016-national-parks-bioblitz-gateway-sandy-hook-bioblitz).
But don't worry - species observations can also be recorded the old fashioned way - pencil and data sheet. You don't need to have a smart phone or be tech savvy to participate in the BioBlitz.
T-shirts, food, a rest area, and plenty of coffee and water were provided. For additional information, contact Patti Rafferty (patricia_rafferty@nps.gov) or Stevie Thorsen (Stevie@littoralsociety.org).