It's BioBlitz #2! 

We hope you'll join us at WildWay, future home of the Iowa Wildlife Center, for this free, family-friendly event! As one of the steps to creating a land stewardship plan for WildWay, our 75-acre grassland, savanna, wetland and woodland complex in Boone County, we are hosting a series of free, family-friendly BioBlitz events for the spring and summer months. The only cost to you is the on-site meals that you choose to purchase (and they will be very good!). You may camp on site for free or make a selection from other lodging options, some of which you pay a minimal cost (nearby 4-H Center) or arrange on your own (state park, motel, etc).

A BioBlitz is a 24-hour race -- a day of discovery, identification and assessment to begin to unlock the secrets of the land by figuring out what plant and animal species live on a particular property. The information we'll gather, with your assistance, will help us determine how best to manage WildWay for native plants, animals and insects. It's part education, part science and part celebration of the biodiversity around us! It's also a gathering of scientists and educators, who lead the teams into the field to conduct the species surveys, and citizens, who want to learn more about the world around them. Together, we will learn about the diversity of life on this 75 acres of land near the Des Moines River in Boone County! 

At the first BioBlitz, we found over 200 species and counting, including 4 dragonfly species that are Boone County records! Won't you come out for a few hours, one day or both days and join the exploration?

We need people who already know a lot about life around us and people who want to learn something about life around us. Participants will meet new friends and renew past aqaintences. You will also receive a packet of useful guides and information to use later in your own backyards or beyond. The Iowa Wildlife Center will acquire a species list of what is present NOW on the land before we develop our managment plan. It's a good trade, we think!

Ferns and frogs, spiders and sedges, birds and bats  -- oh my! Together we learn about the diversity of life on this 75 acres of land near the Des Moines River in Boone County! Visit the IWC website for more detailed information at www.iowawildlifecenter.org. Have questions or concerns? Call Marlene or Colleen at the number listed to the left.

We thank Iowa Prairie Network -- Central Region, Iowa Native Plant Society, Iowa Dept. of Natural Resources Wildlife Diversity Program, Iowa Natural History Association and Drake University for their support!

Registration ends Wednesday, June 27th, so we can reserve food and lodging!