FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Rhett Register, Michigan Sea Grant Communications Program Leader, (734) 647-0767
Brandon Schroeder, Michigan Sea Grant Extension Educator, Northeast District, (989) 354-9885
Adults and children of all ages are invited to BioBlitz, a special one-day nature event, to be held 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 25 at Treetops Project Nature in Gaylord. Part of National Geographic’s Great Nature Project, participants help scientists collect plant and animal information and photos from the area’s old growth forest, ponds and the Sturgeon River. Photos and information will be added to a database accessible to scientists and decision makers around the world.
Special activity stations with hands-on displays and resources will be offered by Michigan Sea Grant, Michigan State University Extension and other organizations.
“Michigan Sea Grant will present Great Lakes fisheries and aquaculture resources,” says Brandon Schroeder, a Michigan Sea Grant Extension educator. “The exhibit will especially emphasize the issue of aquatic invasive species.”
Schroeder also will be seeking people to continue the biodiversity assessment effort as part of the Northeast Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative. This regional network of education and community partners promotes hands-on, place-based education as a method for developing knowledgeable and active stewards of the environment.
“We hope to find people who want to translate this exciting one-day event into a longer-term project that can help with a local school,” he adds.
BioBliz participants who complete each of the activity stations will receive a pin and the title “Citizen Scientist.”
Join for an hour or two, or spend the entire day exploring Project Nature. Registration is $10 per person, $35 per family and free for children age 4 and under. Box lunches also can be ordered.
The event is hosted by the University Center Gaylord. To learn more and to register, visit www.ucgaylord.org.
