Swallowtail Close-up

Set to the stunning backdrop of Cambridge University’s Botanic Garden, the Zoology Department is once again going on a BioBlitz.

This intense and rewarding 24-hour survey of biodiversity aims to bring together the scientific and wider community.

The race begins at 5pm on Friday July 22nd. For a 24-hour period, experts, volunteers and members of the public alike will be racing against the clock to count and catalogue the booming population of life within the Garden.

This now national event aims to recognise the biodiversity of a single area, even in a city location such as Cambridge. After originating in America, BioBlitz locations can now be found up and down the country. This has enabled large numbers of people to get directly involved in the surveying and monitoring of their local area.

Activities throughout the day will allow the public to simply drop in and join the project. Throughout the night the study will continue to create an accurate portrait of a day in the life of the Botanic Garden.

In only its second year, BioBlitz has already shown to be an enriching, informative and inclusive experiment. All are welcome to take part; however some activities will require booking. Last year the event brought together a range of organisations and university departments, allowing the day to offer some unique opportunities.

This year boasts a host of activities with the University Department of Zoology running snail and bumble bee workshops. In addition there will be surveys of bug, bat and small mammal life in the garden, as well as early morning introduction to bird song. It promises to be a hands-on day with plenty to be done and learnt.

Ros Wade, from Cambridge University’s Museum of Zoology, is enthusiastic about BioBlitz’s potential. She said: “The Public can learn how to observe wildlife and discover the great diversity of animal and plant life living on their doorstep.”


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