FAIRHOPE, Ala. – All Alabamians are invited to join Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in celebrating World Environment Day by participating in the Alabama Backyard BioBlitz Friday, June 5, 2020. The event encourages the public to explore and document the natural world from the comfort of their own backyards.
“The theme of this year’s event is biodiversity,” said Clara Zubrick, Weeks Bay education assistant. “Alabama ranks fifth in the nation in biodiversity and first east of the Mississippi River. To protect and conserve our environment, we must first connect with what’s out there. The best place to begin exploring nature is in your own backyard.”
To participate in the event, download the free iNaturalist app from the Apple or Android app stores and search for the “Alabama Backyard BioBlitz” project. After joining the project June 5, participants can observe and document the plants, animals and insects present near their homes. You can also participate through the iNaturalist website at www.inaturalist.org/projects/alabama-backyard-bioblitz.
“We are excited to provide this opportunity to bring together citizen scientists throughout Alabama in an effort to increase awareness of our state’s amazing biodiversity and celebrate its natural beauty,” said Chris Blankenship, Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR).
Learn more about World Environment Day at www.worldenvironmentday.global.
Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve was established in 1986 and is managed by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) as part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Estuarine Research Reserve System. The Reserve is comprised of 9,317 acres in Baldwin County and contains upland and bottomland hardwood forests, salt and freshwater marshes, submerged aquatic vegetation and unique bog habitats. Learn more at www.outdooralabama.com/lands/weeks-bay-reserve.
Follow Weeks Bay on Facebook at www.facebook.com/WeeksBayNERR/.
The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources promotes wise stewardship, management and enjoyment of Alabama’s natural resources through four divisions: Marine Resources, State Lands, State Parks, and Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries. To learn more about ADCNR, visit www.outdooralabama.com.
