Just outside the scientist's tent stands a lanky fellow swinging a net through the dry brush. He takes a few gentle swipes over the flower tops, stirring up some moths, and then inspects his catch. This is Sam Droege, the father of the BioBlitz. He organized the first 'Blitz with Dan Roddy back in 1996 at the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens in Washington, D.C.
The idea was to bring together the city's numerous field biologists, typically trapped and isolated in their offices, and unleash them in an under-visited park to highlight its surprising biodiversity. And to have fun. "I told them: Go and do whatever you want, just get as many species as you can," jokes Sam. "Let's have a party!"
Sam will be leading inventory teams collecting bees and wasps later today. It's his eighth BioBlitz.
Photograph by Ford Cochran/NGS
POSTED BY EMILY LANDIS/BIOBLITZ TEAM, 1:55 PM PDT
