Volunteers sought for 'BioBlitz'

Science educators at Flathead Valley Community College and Glacier High School are looking for community volunteers to assist in a fun learning opportunity in April.

Ruth Wrightsman, the adviser of the biology program at the college, will work with FVCC and Glacier science students, along with as many volunteers she can get, to do the Flathead’s first “BioBlitz.”

The event is a way for scientists to survey the flora and fauna of an area. In this case, it is the portion of the Stillwater River on the college campus.

“The BioBlitz is a survey of species diversity,” Wrightsman said. “That could be insects, birds, fungi, bats ... really anything you can collect and identify.”

She wants the experts — botanists, stream ecologists, field guides, etc. — but the event won’t be nearly as successful without members of the general public with an interest in science.

The event will run for six hours, and Wrightsman and her students will run DNA scans of the life brought in by using DNA “barcoding” kits to properly identify the species of each living thing.

“I don’t think we’ve ever done a complete survey of the Stillwater River and this is a good way to get a snapshot,” she said. “One of the goals of the BioBlitz is to appreciate conservation.”

Wrightsman said the original BioBlitz campaign, put on by National Geographic, has been done in places such as Golden Gate National Parks in California, Rock Creek Park in Washington, D.C., and Central Park, in New York City. 

A typical event is actually 24 hours, but Wrightsman wants to try an abridged version before committing to the full event.

“We’re going to appreciate what’s around us,” she said. “This is a great opportunity to look for insects in the stream and it’s a great bird habitat. We’ll see woodpeckers and maybe warblers. In terms of plants, we are going to look for what’s blooming and what’s not.”

The BioBlitz will be partially funded by a $2,200 grant from the FVCC Foundation to help  innovative or entrepreneurial projects at the college.

“I don’t think we’d be able to do it to this extent without that funding,” Wrightsman said. “We’d like to bring people onto campus who might be our future students, 7- or 8-year olds who might come back in a few years.”

If the April event is a success, a BioBlitz could be in the works for Glacier National Park. Wrightsman said she is shocked every year by how many students have not been to the park, much less enjoyed the wildlife there. 

She has become a pioneer in Montana’s biotechnology field and FVCC is the only two-year school in the state with a program. She uses the DNA barcoding to identify life on a molecular level. Students leaving her program are eagerly snapped up by Montana State University as capable, experienced students.

“It helps them prepare for jobs in industry,” Wrightsman said of the biotechnology program. “That could be [molecular] diagnostics or agricultural work.”

With help from a National Science Foundation grant and the money from the FVCC Foundation, the biology programs at Glacier High School and the college will be able to put on the scientific event.

Not to say it lacks fun.

“There are a lot of people out there who just like to look at birds or look at bugs,” Wrightsman said. “And we are going to have a contest to see who can guess the number of species.”

The April 18 event could be marred by weather, but Wrightsman is confident it will be enjoyable and useful for science programs.

Volunteers can contact her at 756-3878. 

Reporter Ryan Murray may be reached at 758-4436 or by email at rmurray@dailyinterlake.com.