The rain did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of 80 young students who attended K2W’s first Bioblitz at Trunkey Creek on Friday, 3 June 2016.

Students from five local schools attended the one-day event during which ecologists presented a series of small workshops including skull and scat identification, microscope work and streamwatch, alongside Taronga’s Zoomobile.

“It was fantastic to see the enthusiasm and eagerness the students displayed on the day. Despite it being a jam packed event, even the attention of the very young kids didn’t waver,” says Mary Bonet, K2W Facilitator.

“We hope that the event sparks off a life-long passion and interest in nature.”

The school’s education day was followed by an ‘Evening with the Gliders’ at the Trunkey Creek Pub, a spotlight tour and talk by glider experts Judy and Peter Smith. The ecologists presented on the findings of their recent K2W funded survey of gliding possums in the area.

The 48 hour BioBlitz concluded with a community day on 4 June during which ecologists led flora, bird and hollow-bearing tree surveys.

“It was heartening to see participants braving the heavy rain and heading out to do the surveys. It says a lot about the spirit of the local community and the value they place on our environment,” says Mary.

Records collected during the event will be fed into the Atlas of Living Australia, a publically accessible database of Australian flora and fauna.

“The BioBlitz was a chance to celebrate nature and to raise awareness about the unique plants and animals that share our land. We plan to run the event every few years to enable the public to learn and be inspired by the experts to care for and protect their natural heritage,” says Mary.

The event was funded through grants from the NSW Environmental Trust and Southeast Local Land Services.

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Media enquiries:
Mary Bonet, ph. 0459 352 892