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Back by popular demand, a June Bioblitz, co-sponsored by the Lower Sugar River Watershed Association (LSRWA) and the Green Rock Audubon Society (GRAS), will bring together botanists, birders, nature enthusiasts, and students for an all-day event to explore private lands bisected by the wild forested bottomlands and oxbow lakes of the Sugar River.  The day will start with a bird outing at 6:30 a.m., and continue throughout the day and into the evening with botanical forays, fish and macroinvertebrate forays, bat monitoring, and star gazing, all led by experts in their respective fields.

The Bioblitz will be held on Saturday, June 11, from 6:30 a.m.-9:00 p.m., at N1997 County T, Brodhead, WI. Please watch for signs that mark a long driveway to parking and gathering location.

Participants should dress for adventurous outdoor activities, including proper footwear for both wet and dry conditions, and bring hat, insect repellent, water and sack lunch and snacks if you plan to spend the day, camera, binoculars, and field notebook. Port-a-potty will be provided. Rolls and coffee will be provided for birders. We will break for lunch and dinner for those wishing to leave the site for meals. There is shelter at the site for getting indoors out of the elements, but please feel free to bring pop-up shade or tent for this purpose, and camp chairs.

FREE registration will take place at the site, on the day of the event, however, donations will be accepted to cover the cost of the event. Participants will be asked to complete a liability form.

It is not necessary to attend the entire day. People are encouraged to come to whatever parts of the event they are most interested in. A tentative schedule has birding from 6:30 a.m.-9:00 a.m., botany and ecology from 10:00 a.m. to Noon, fish and aquatic macroinvertebrates from 2:00 p.m. -4:00 p.m., and bats, stars and planets from 6:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. Each event will kick-off with a brief presentation by leaders before heading to the field, gathering in the onsite shelter (open garage on south side of house). Informational handouts will be provided as needed. Informational displays will also be set-up in the garage, including field keys. We encourage use of cameras for collecting visual “specimens” for identification by experts. All data collected during the day will be posted to the LSRWA website, with photos and other documentation.

Those who want to stay are invited to bring sack lunches, or there will be time between forays to drive into Brodhead to purchase a quick meal. A detailed schedule will be posted on the LSRWA web site at http://www.lsrwa.org. For more information, please contact Susan Lehnhardt, (608) 897-8641 x20 or email her at susan@appliedeco.com, or Bethany Emond Storm at (630) 770-8446, or by email at programdirector@lsrwa.org.

The Lower Sugar River Watershed Association (LSRWA) is a not-for-profit conservation organization located in Brodhead, WI, dedicated to the care and enjoyment of our water resources and to empowering citizens with experience and knowledge to steward land and water resources in the Lower Sugar River Watershed.