The Flathead Valley Community College biology and natural resources departments are working together to survey the biological diversity of the campus for the second year in a row.

FVCC’s second annual BioBlitz is April 23 and is free and open to people of all ages. The event will take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The college’s biology and natural resources faculty and students will work with community members to identify as many plants, birds, amphibians, insects, fish, mammals, fungi and other species as possible in five hours.

FVCC Associate Professor Ruth Wrightsman said the day gives the community and students a snapshot of the biological diversity that exists throughout the Flathead Valley.

“The area along the river provides excellent habitat for wildlife and is raising awareness about diversity around us, even in an urban area,” Wrightsman said. “It’s really a combined event for professionals, outdoor hobbyists and those who are curious.”

The college campus consists of more than 200 acres, including land adjacent to the Stillwater River.

Wrightsman said the event was funded by a $2,500 grant from the U.S. Forest Service and $1,000 from the FVCC Foundation. She said participants observe and record the various specimens that live throughout the property, including insects, birds, fungi and other organisms living on the water’s edge or within the woods.

Wrightsman said along with people who enjoy bird watching and identifying plants, FVCC faculty members, National Park Service biologists and national forest staffers will join the event.

The information collected will go into the hands of FVCC biotechnology students, who will demonstrate how to use DNA barcoding to identify each organism’s species.

“This is really a national movement to catalogue biodiversity,” Wrightsman said. “It’s a way to take a snapshot of what’s going on on our campus and build a database to compare it to what we see down the road.”

The first BioBlitz was held in Kenilworth Park in Washington, D.C., in 1996. Since then, BioBlitz surveys have been held throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia with sponsors including the National Park Service, National Geographic Society and The Nature Conservancy.

Though each location and event varies, at a BioBlitz, scientists, families, students, teachers and other community members work together to get an overall count of the organisms that live in a place in a short amount of time.

Wrightsman said at last year’s event, more than 120 volunteers identified more than 50 species of birds and roughly 70 plants.

At FVCC’s upcoming event, participants will be supplied with equipment needed for observations, including binoculars, field guides and field checklists. The BioBlitz tent will provide a work area for specimen identification using dissecting and compound microscopes.

She said the event is also a way to inspire future biologists and environmental scientists.

Students from FVCC’s Elementary Education program have developed activities for children, including making leaf prints, bird feeders, bird houses and kites.

“Even for people who grow up in this area, they don’t really go outside to look at nature. They’re often playing a sport, not looking at plants or birds,” Wrightsman said. Events like this help kids develop a habit they carry the rest of their lives.”

For more information, contact Wrightsman at 756-3878 or at rwrightsman@fvcc.edu.

Reporter Katheryn Houghton may be reached at 758-4436 or by email at khoughton@dailyinterlake.com.