Events 2008

Lake Floyd Bio-Blitz

The following is an email message from Donna Mitchell regarding the Lake Floyd Bio-Blitz, which will take place on June 13, 14, 15, 2008:

If you haven’t attended a bio-blitz before it is a chance to survey as many life forms as possible in a defined area.

Bill Roody and I will head up the fungi team for the Lake Floyd Bio-blitz. Very little collecting of fungi has been done in Harrison county and this is a good opportunity to add to the county list and the fungal herbarium while helping this community.
Although mid June isn’t the peak time for fungi, if the weather cooperates, I’m sure there will be some fungi out. If you would like more information as it becomes available, you can contact David Powell (contact info at the end of the page) or me (donnamitchell@wvdnr.gov).

The following is the preliminary announcement of this event from David Powell who is organizing this event:

“Lake Floyd, a private community between Clarksburg and Salem on US Rt. 50, is
planning a Bio-Blitz June 13, 14, 15, 2008. The goal is to count as many
plant and animal species as possible in approximately 32 hours on the 700
acre property, which includes a 33 acre Lake, several streams, a gold course and a pond.

The Lake Floyd Bio-Blitz is being undertaken as an all-volunteer wildlife
education project, to interest children and adults in the nature around
them. The property has been divided into about 16 zones - mini-watersheds -
based on streams as centerlines in each zone.

Additionally, Taxa Teams (e.g., Reptiles, Amphibians, Trees, Fungi, Vascular
Plants, Aquatic Insects, Birds, etc.) will be formed under supervision of
professional biologists and botanists.
The following is a tentative schedule from David Powell, the organizer of this event. More information will be made available as plans are made.

Friday June 13

Noon to 6:00 p.m. Participants arrive, check out the 700 acres to be
surveyed. Set-up of picnic/staging area, tanks, cages, specimen containers.
Team sign-ups continued and assigned for next day. Wildlife info displays
and tables set up in ballroom.

6:00 p.m. - ?? Program of instruction to participants, recruitment of new
members for participating nature organizations, time reserved for short
presentations by any experts/Taxa Team Leaders who wish to speak, Nature
documentary film(s) in card room, Nature Photo Contest display, children’s
activities. Light refreshments. Clubhouse restaurant open late.

9:00 p.m. until ?? Possible Owl Taxa Team nighttime survey team will go
out.

Saturday June 14

Dawn - Taxa Teams and Zone Leaders may begin survey at their discretion.

7:45 a.m. Check-in tables at picnic area will be staffed beginning at 7:45
a.m. Plant and animal specimens w ill be brought in and recorded and digital
photographs also permitted. Large scoreboard will record species totals hour
by hour. All animals will be live-caught and returned to where they were
found.

Noon to 1:00 p.m. During lunch hour participants can change teams to get
more variety of experience, and new participants assigned.

6:00 p.m. Covered dish dinner at clubhouse. Winners of pre-Bio-Blitz nature
photography contest announced. Photos can be from any year, must be taken on
Lake Floyd property.

10:30 p.m. All boats should come in.

10:45 p.m. Picnic/check-in staging area will close.

Night time Survey - Survey may continue into the night at the discretion of
team leaders.

Sunday June 15

Dawn - Taxa Teams and Zone Leaders may begin survey at their discretion.

7:45 a.m. Check-in tables at picnic area will be staffed beginning at 7:45
a.m. Plant and animal specimens will be brought in and recor ded and digital
photographs also permitted. Large scoreboard will record species totals hour
by hour. All animals will be

live-caught and returned to where they were found.

Noon to 1:00 p.m. During lunch hour participants can change teams to get
more variety of experience, and new participants assigned.

4:00 p.m. Collecting should stop and all teams return to picnic/check-in
area. Total of all species surveyed announced. Bio-Blitz nature photography
contest announced. Photos must be taken during Bio-Blitz, on Lake Floyd
property.

Planning Stages

The above schedule is subject to change, and we welcome all suggestions.
Wonderful West Virginia magazine has been contacted about an article on
Bio-Blitz, and we are seeking other ways to make this project useful to the
nature/ scientific community in West Virginia.

Please forward this information to any nature experts or professionals who
might be interested in our project.

For info please contact David Powell 202 387 1680, (at Lake Floyd 304 782
2018)
wdp320@aol.com, Judy Schillace 304 782 1936, Judy Burns 304 782 2018.”

© 2008 FUNGIFEST.