A resource of Biophilia: Pittsburgh, #bioPGH is a weekly blog and social media series that aims to encourage both children and adults to reconnect with nature and enjoy what each of our distinctive seasons has to offer. 

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Every week, you join me here on the #bioPGH blog as we explore local PA flora and fauna. This weekend, though, join us at Phipps we dive into a full day of discovering the biodiversity of Western Pennsylvania at our fourth annual BioBlitz!

What is a bioblitz?, one might ask. In the most traditional scientific explanation, a bioblitz is an event that unites scientists and community members to identify as many living things in a given area over a set time frame. It truly is a mad dash, or a “blitz,” to quickly identify everything possible. Scientists can then use the data to better understand the health of the local ecosystem and keep a record of the living things in the study area.

If this sounds intriguing, mark your calendar for this weekend! On Sun., June 2, our BioBlitz Family Fun Festival will bring together families, students, local scientists, naturalists, and community leaders to explore and celebrate the biodiversity of Pittsburgh’s own Schenley Park — a discovery of the wonders of nature like no other!

Some of the adventures of the day will include botanical illustration classes, nature-themed story time, and guided nature walks into Schenley Park. Plus, local scientists and naturalists will be at on the lawn of Phipps in a festival-style celebration of native biodiversity! All of the main activities, including exhibitors at the research base officially begin at 9:00 am, though one of the walks begins at 8:30 a.m.

• Birds with Kate St. John, author of the Outside My Window blog | 8:30 a.m.
• Stream Life with Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy | 9 a.m.
• Nature Cell Phone Photography with Joanne Schreiber, Phipps docent | 9 a.m.
• Native Plants with Dr. Marion Holmes, University of Pittsburgh | 10 a.m.
• Mushrooms with Western Pennsylvania Mushroom Club | 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
• Scats and Tracks with Dr. Maria Wheeler-Dubas, Phipps Conservatory | 11 a.m.
• Trees of Pennsylvania with Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy | 11 a.m.
• Invasive Plants with Dr. Sara Kuebbing, University of Pittsburgh | 1 p.m.
• iNaturalist with the Allegheny Land Trust | 1 p.m.
• Snails with Dr. Tim Pearce of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History | 2 p.m.
• Bees and Pollinators with Christina Neumann, Apoidea Apiary | 3 p.m.

This will be a full day of hands-on science that you don’t want to miss. We hope you’ll be a part of Pittsburgh’s BioBlitz Family Fun Festival at Phipps!

For more information, check out our website or contact Maria Wheeler-Dubas, science education and research outreach manager, at mwheeler-dubas@phipps.conservatory.org