Wilkes-Barre BioBlitz uncovers hundreds of species
A group of nature enthusiasts look at the insects that have been collected in Nesbitt Park as part of BioBlitz on Saturday morning.
Sam Zavada | Times Leader
A group of nature enthusiasts look at the insects that have been collected in Nesbitt Park as part of BioBlitz on Saturday morning.
Sam Zavada | Times Leader
WILKES-BARRE — A census of hundreds of species living in Nesbitt and Kirby parks was conducted on Friday and Saturday this week as part of Bioblitz, a new event to the Wyoming Valley.
Rachael Stark is a program manager with the Pennsylvania Environmental Council and serves as their representative on the Riverfront Parks Committee, the organizers of this Bioblitz. She was inspired to bring the census idea to Wilkes-Barre after going to a similar event last year — the Upper Delaware Bioblitz at The Highlights Retreat Center in Wayne County.
“It’s a great way to contribute to citizen science, our understanding of species that share spaces with us, and also to inspire communities to be better stewards of their local environments,” Stark said. “So I thought, why not do it right here in this city park and help people who live in Wilkes-Barre understand what’s right out their back door?”
During the Bioblitz, naturalists try to identify as many species as they can, including plants, fungi, lichen and animals, within a 24-hour period.
Stark said that between 2 p.m. on Friday and 11 a.m. Saturday, over 400 species had already been identified.
“The natural area definitely gets a bad rap, but this right there proves that there’s a lot of life out there that calls this place home,” said Stark. “Something that I found very inspiring, too: a lot of our naturalists said some of the native species back there are the biggest they’ve ever seen them, because the soils are just really rich and healthy, which is really, really phenomenal to hear.”
She added that, when all is said and done, it is expected that over 600 species will be identified as living in Nesbitt Park and the Kirby Park natural area.
The public events began on Friday night, with guests getting a look at the bat and moth life living within Wilkes-Barre’s parks. Even though Saturday was rainy, the schedule remained intact. Naturalists led hikes to check out the insect, fish, tree and plant populations throughout the morning and afternoon.
“Yes, we have rain, which might deter some people, but it also attracts some critters, so I think there’s wins with that,” Stark said, adding that other Bioblitz events could be held at other times of the year to expand the range of known species living in the parks.
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