Schoolyard BioBlitz 2016

Spend some time on Earth Day, Friday, April 22, 2016, engaging your students in a fun, citizen-science based activity.  Do a school-yard BioBlitz!  Watch this National Geographic information video here for more information: http://education.nationalgeographic.org/media/schoolyard-bioblitz/

A BioBlitz is a 24-hour event in which teams of volunteer scientists, families, students, teachers, and other community members work together to find and identify as many species of plants, animals, microbes, fungi, and other organisms as possible. This year the event takes place on April 22 and 23.

Why? This event is part of a national initiative to survey species across the United States.  The effort promotes exploration of our natural environments and participatory science.

Partnering organizations include the Virginia Geographic Alliance, National Geographic Society, National Council for Geographic Education, Virginia State Parks, Back Bay Wildlife Refuge, and the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge.

Documents/Handouts have been created for your use and can be edited to fit your needs.  You can also print a certificate for participants.

Teachers participating in a schoolyard BioBlitz with VGA can fill out a form to get credit for the Governor’s Environmental Literacy Challenge (Conservation Classroom Challenge).  Here is more info on the Governor’s challenge: http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/environmental-education/virginia-resource-use-education-council.  The 2016 certificate period ends June 15th.

NOTE:  The Bioblitz pages will remain available on VGA site for future reference in case you want to do a Bioblitz at your school on a day other than Earth Day.

 Official Hashtags – #BioBlitz2016, #VABioBlitz2016, @VAGeogAlliance, @VAStateParks

 

Comments are closed.