FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 12, 2024
MEDIA CONTACT:
Madeline Anderson
414-278-2784
andersonm@mpm.edu
MILWAUKEE PUBLIC MUSEUM’S ANNUAL 24-HOUR NATURE SURVEY "BIOBLITZ” BRINGS TOGETHER SCIENTISTS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO SCOUR MEQUON NATURE PRESERVE FOR WILDLIFE
June 21-22
MILWAUKEE — Scientists and nature enthusiasts will have just 24 hours to search Mequon Nature Preserve’s 510 acres June 21 and 22 to uncover as many species of plants and animals as possible during Milwaukee Public Museum’s (MPM) annual BioBlitz competition. More than 80 surveyors from across the state are expected to compete in this race against the clock, with many working through the night. During the final five hours of the exploration, the community is invited to tag along with the experts as they collect or photograph different species and learn about the Preserve’s biodiversity through family-friendly interactive activities.
“The average person might not realize Wisconsin has amazing biodiversity. In previous years, BioBlitz participants have identified approximately 1,000 species on average,” said Julia Colby, MPM Invertebrate & Vertebrate Collections Manager and BioBlitz organizer. “These rapid ecological surveys provide an effective way to collect a large amount of data in a short period, which can help inform conservation efforts, be used for research purposes and lead to the identification of new species in a particular area.”
For example, during last year’s BioBlitz at Havenwoods State Forest in Milwaukee, surveyors identified the first-ever recorded sighting in Wisconsin of the crab spider Ozyptila praticola.
Colby hopes this year’s BioBlitz will provide Mequon Nature Preserve with new insight into the species present after more than two decades of habitat restoration efforts. Once agricultural fields, much of the land has been restored to prairies, wetlands and hardwood mesic forests.
The survey portion of BioBlitz begins at 3 p.m. on Friday, June 21, and ends at 3 p.m. Saturday, June 22. The free, public portion will go from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, when attendees can chat with the scientists about their discoveries and participate in the following offerings from MPM educators, Mequon Nature Preserve staff and representatives from partner organizations:
- Demonstrations with Mequon Nature Preserve’s very own conservation dogs, Tilia and Timber
- Bird walks with the Zoological Society of Milwaukee and BIPOC Birding Club of Wisconsin
- Butterfly walks with the Dane County Butterfly Monitoring Program
- Dragonfly and damselfly walks with the Wisconsin Dragonfly Society
- Mycology walks with the Mycological Society of Wisconsin
- Owl pellet dissection, microscope station and plant press activity with MPM educators
- Nature journaling and scientific illustration with Kathy DeVries Designs
- Beginner birding station with Paige Wirth of UW-Madison and Charlotte Chorzempa with USGS
- Invertebrate biodiversity and conservation station with Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
"BioBlitz is an important opportunity for children and families to get first-hand experience with field work and scientists,” said Maisie Buntin, MPM’s Outreach Programs Coordinator. “I think sometimes science feels ‘too big’ for some people, and many others don't see themselves represented in the field. We want to make science approachable and welcoming for everyone.”
This is the Museum's ninth annual BioBlitz. MPM President & CEO Dr. Ellen Censky helped found and develop the BioBlitz program in the 1990s during her time at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh. The BioBlitz program has since been adopted by institutions across the country and the world.
"Learning about nature is the first step toward conserving nature," Censky said. “Through the many educational activities offered at BioBlitz, along with the chance to engage with scientists, we hope to foster wonder and appreciation for our natural world, and ultimately, inspire community members to do their part to help protect the environment for the future.”
Generous support for BioBlitz is provided by Antonia Foundation and Margarete & David Harvey.
About the Milwaukee Public Museum
The Milwaukee Public Museum is Wisconsin’s natural history museum, welcoming over half a million visitors annually. Located in downtown Milwaukee, the Museum was chartered in 1882, opened to the public in 1884, and currently houses more than 4 million objects in its collections. MPM has three floors of exhibits that encompass life-size dioramas, walk-through villages, world cultures, dinosaurs, a rainforest, and a live butterfly garden, as well as the Daniel M. Soref Dome Theater & Planetarium. MPM is operated by Milwaukee Public Museum, Inc., a private, non-profit company, and its facilities and collections are held in trust and supported by Milwaukee County for the benefit of the public.
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