2018 Little River Canyon NP BioBlitz

This 2018 BioBlitz is our third event focusing on documenting the ecological diversity of our park. We invite everyone, amateur or expert, to join us the weekend of May 18-20, 2018. Whether you stay only one hour or all day, participants are welcome to explore the park on a self-guided hike or join subject matter experts that will lead hikes in various areas of the park.

All weekend, we are trying something different…..hikes will be “a la carte”. We will have subject matter experts at the Little River Canyon Center and various areas that can take people on hikes that vary from short and breezy to long and laborious. Each day begins at 8:00, where we’ll start the day at the Canyon Center and group up and decide who goes where. We’ll convene again after lunch for more trips.

The day begins with an initial "welcome" and daily event listing at the Little River Canyon Center (472 AL Hwy 35, Fort Payne). There is free Wi-Fi in the Center where participants can sync observations if they choose to not do so in the field. There will also be a table with field guides. Subject matter expert will be on hand at the Center from 3:00 to 5:00 to help identify your findings.

Friday and Saturday nights, we will be black-lighting for insects as well as searching out the calls of frogs in a couple of ponded areas. Friday night we will be “mothing” at Canyon Mouth Park from 6:00 to ~10:00. And of course we’ll check out the herps while we are down there! Everyone will meet at the Canyon Center and we'll carpool to the site. Saturday night will begin at 6:00 with a frog talk & walk with Dr. Cline at the Canyon Center. Then at 8:00 we’ll have the mothing sheets up and ready to go on the back deck. Check out our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/lirinps/ to sign up for the event and get updates on the agenda.

Be sure to bring lots of water & snacks, insect repellent, and sunscreen. Also, pack a lunch for your trek. Be prepared for hiking in woodlands, wading the river & streams, and/or sloshing through a wetland, so in addition to your hiking boots, you may want to bring river sandals and rubber boots too!

We want participants to have a fun time and learn a lot....however, we ask that everyone follow Leave No Trace principles. That means we need to leave the areas we visit just as we found them. A few rules include:

-Prevent or minimize trampling. When getting off trail, don't wander too far so as to not get lost. Stay together.
-If you lift or roll a rock, log, or cover board, please put it back exactly how you found it. These microhabitats are import for our fauna....it's their homes, be a good visitor. If a log is too rotten to roll, then leave it be.
-Don't seek out Federal or State listed species, but if you do encounter them, please obscure the location of your observation. Park staff will see the exact location, not the public.
-Don't disturb or move any marked flagging or pins that are associated with research on-going in the park.
-When venturing on your own, please be aware there are black bears and venomous snakes in the park. Do not try to approach them. No observation is worth potentially compromising your safety. Only document in a way/distance that is safe for you and the wildlife. If you choose to handle small fauna, such as insects or salamanders, please use caution and bring no harm to them. Remember, we are the guests in their home....so be a good visitor! Be gentle, and be quick.

Last thing....PHOTOS. Please take several shots so that you can have as much evidence as possible to crack the case of identifying your subject. For plants, get a close shot of flowers, leaves (top and bottom), plant base, stalks/stems. For wildlife it can be tricky, critters don't sit still like plants. Please don't pick up snakes, only let the professionals handle them. For small creatures (frog, beetle, spider,etc), make sure you get a good picture of the face/eyes, back (front too if possible), and sides. Make sure your subject is focused and the center of attention in the pictures. The more photos you take, the better. You can vet the bad pics and choose the goods ones when you sync your data at the VC or home. You can choose to sync your data in the field...just be mindful of your data limits and lack of cell coverage in some areas of the park.

We want to sincerely thank each and every one of you who will join us to seek out new knowledge of our park and add to its ever-growing list of biota. menos ↑