Bustling Bioblitz
“As the rain subsided for the first time in weeks, the sun shone down on a committed group of staff and students, donning hi-vis jackets and getting immersed in the outdoors.” Oscar Lindsey-Turner, Marjon
Discovering the natural world has never been so urgent, and fascinating, as it is now. You don’t need to go to the other side of the world to discover an amazing array of plant, animal, and fungi species. In fact, right here on our campus, an explosion of life is happening.
On Monday 27 March, Pollenize, who manage our bees on campus, facilitated a Bioblitz. A Bioblitz is a biodiversity survey and a tangible, real-world way of engaging with sustainability and nature.
“A Bioblitz is a short, intensive survey of biodiversity in a specific area, aimed at recording as many species as possible within a set time frame” Owen, Pollenize
Using the free iNaturalist* app, a small team of committed staff and students documented and evidenced over 80 species with over 300 observations. The app uses the camera on your phone to photograph, identify and upload your discoveries.
“On campus, the first Bumblebees of spring buzzed their way through the orchard, evading our cameras despite our best efforts. Our lenses captured other, less mobile fascinations: strange mushrooms, magnificent flowers and sharp blue lichens” Oscar Lindsey-Turner
A Bioblitz is all in the name of citizen science. Citizen science is when members of the public contribute to data collection about our world, regardless of location or process; it brings everyone into the important work of protecting our planet.
According to Pollenize “We feed this data into cloud-based technology which uses AI and community experts to identify as many forms of animals and plants as possible. Floradex (our Biodiversity Tracking Tool) can then use this data to strategically prescribe the next best planting solution for supporting natural on-site ecosystems”
The iNaturalist* app is free, so it’s accessible to students and the information is recorded publicly, meaning you can create a community of nature lovers in your local area and beyond!
Sustainability has become a bit of a buzzword in recent years; it’s something we’re all aware of but not something we all know how to get involved in. Days like this Bioblitz at Marjon highlight how important it is to engage people with their senses, offering a hands-on experience and providing people with knowledge, and a purpose, to be outside.
If you’re sad to have missed this event, why not follow us on Instagram and Twitter, or join the Marjon Environmental Society to decide on the future of sustainability at Marjon and get lots of opportunities to spend more time in nature.
Pollenize are offering two places per week in April to staff and students to come and do some beekeeping. This is a fantastic opportunity to learn more about conservation, pollen, honey, environmental science and sustainability at Marjon. Follow us on social media or email us at sustainability@marjon.ac.uk to book your place!
Picture by Chris Parkes Photography
Pages to follow:
- Marjon Sustainability (Instagram)
- Marjon Environmental Society (Instagram)
- Marjon Environmental Society (Facebook)
Contact us via email at sustainability@marjon.ac.uk.
*Get the iNaturalist app on Android here and iOS here.
Post authored by:
Oscar Lindsey-Turner
Sustainability Ambassador
Plymouth Marjon University
