The world's first bioblitz was held at Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens in Washington, D.C., above. A team of scientists, teachers, students, and volunteers spent 24 hours conducting a species inventory of the area.

Photograph by Jennifer Boyer, courtesy Wikimedia. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
  • On May 31, 1996, the first bioblitz was held at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens in Washington, D.C. A bioblitz is a 24-hour species inventory of a specific area. A group of scientists and volunteers find and identify all the organisms they can in one day. This allows scientists to get an idea of the location’s biodiversity. About 1,000 species were identified at the first bioblitz.
     
    In addition to gaining knowledge about the biodiversity of an area, a bioblitz is about getting people outside and interested in science. Bioblitzes are a great opportunity for scientists and the public to meet, learn, and experience how important natural areas are. National Geographic and the National Park Service collaborated on ten BioBlitzes between 2007 and the NPS centennial in 2016. 
  • Term Part of Speech Definition Encyclopedic Entry
    bioblitz Noun

    a field study in which groups of scientists and citizens study and inventory all the different kinds of living organisms within a given area.

    		 Encyclopedic Entry: bioblitz
    biodiversity Noun

    all the different kinds of living organisms within a given area.

    		 Encyclopedic Entry: biodiversity
    centennial noun, adjective

    100-year anniversary.
    identify Verb

    to recognize or establish the identity of something.
    National Park Service Noun

    U.S. federal agency with the mission of caring "for special places saved by the American people so that all may experience our heritage."
    species inventory Noun

    a list of all the species of organisms living in a specific area.
    specific Adjective

    exact or precise.
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Editor

Caryl-Sue, National Geographic Society

Producer

Mary Crooks, National Geographic Society

Last Updated

Dec. 16, 2013

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