Three Weeks Until the Bioblitz!
As we draw closer to the event, I have had some positive feedback on the event.
However, I haven't had many public volunteers sign up. It is possible that the event will be attended by only by those that I have had the opportunity to personally invite to the event, either through Facebook or face-to-face contact. BUT, the point of this website is to reach out to the public and encourage YOU to attend the event. If you have ever wondered what lives in the water that you swim in, fish in, drink, or live next to, this is the event for you! Maybe your child is the curious one. You cannot deny a child's curiosity, and that is why I encourage children of all ages to come and attend this event.
We have access to the lake through two different locations: a gradual slope pebble beach and off of the ferry dock. With your supervision (of course!), we will be encouraging children and adults to get in the water to kick some of those pebbles on the beach up and net what is under them! We will also be collecting surface material (mud!) from off of the ferry dock. Once we have the creatures, we will take them up to the Kelleys Island Brewpub where I have gathered experts in the field to help YOU identify what you have found.
The last area that will be sampled is for open water organisms. Known as phytoplankton, or algae, this species will be gathered by experts on collecting and driving a boat. It is possible that we will find Microcystis which is the algae responsible for the harmful algal blooms that we have (unfortunately) been dealing with for the last few years!
Once the organisms are identified, we will tally them on this website (under the education page) in the hopes that this event can be a yearly one and we can chart the biodiversity of our area!
