It's official--the Rock Creek Park BioBlitz has begun!
The BioBlitz kicked off a few minutes ago with remarks from National Park Service Director Mary Bomar, Duke University professor and conservation biologist Stuart Pimm, National Geographic President John Fahey, and others.
"National Geographic's mission is to inspire all of us to care about the planet," Fahey said. "How better to do that than to get out and see how many organisms are out there. Rock Creek Park rocks!"
Pimm stressed the importance of biodiversity--and the importance of recognizing and preserving it.
"This is where the wild things are," he said. "There is an amazing variety of things you will see here. Colorful, shiny, interesting, and bizarre."
Now, teams of scientists, volunteers, and participants have started their four-hour field treks. We'll update our total species count as the teams report back in. Keep checking--there are 23.5 more hours of BioBlitz!
Pictured: National Park Service Director Mary Bomar and Milaya, a young BioBlitz participant. Photograph by Mark Christmas/NGS
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Species Count: 0
POSTED BY NANCY GUPTON/BIOBLITZ TEAM AT 12:46 PM
