Some of Ontario’s top scientists and environmental minds will be in the area this coming weekend as the Haliburton Highlands Land Trust (HHLT) hosts a first-ever ‘bioblitz’ event at Barnum Creek Nature Reserve.
More than 40 experts with specialties in trees, insects, lichens, lake biology and more will explore the 600-acre site June 21 and 22. Adrian Martin, a volunteer with HHLT, said the group is aiming to identify the hundreds of unidentified species that call Barnum Creek home.
“A bioblitz is kind of like taking a snapshot in time – it’s about trying to identify as many different creatures, critters and flora as we can,” Martin said. “We have the number one fungus person in Ontario coming, the top bat and moth specialists… this is a big deal for the land trust.”
The event will span a full day, beginning Saturday at 11 a.m. and wrapping Sunday at 1 p.m. Martin said volunteers will be working through the night studying nocturnal species like owls and bats, and early rising birds.
The public is welcome to lend a hand, Martin said – in fact, HHLT is banking on a strong turnout. Around 80 people participated in a ‘bioblitz’ of Dahl Forest in 2017, helping to identify 716 species.
There are currently 456 known species at Barnum Creek, though Martin said the majority of those are moths found by a group who did a more focused study a few years ago. He said the land trust is hoping to register another 700-plus species.
Identifying them has never been easier, Martin said. Volunteers will use iNaturalist, a smart phone application, for scanning.
“It’s a bit like Pokemon GO – people come out, walk the trails, and anytime they see something a little different they can point their phone at it and the app will tell them exactly what they’ve found,” he said, noting there will be three “fun” prizes that people can compete for.
There will also be six guided hikes over the weekend. On Saturday, from 12:30 to 2 p.m., there will be a ‘water and wildlife heroes’ family walk geared towards children; U-Links is hosting a hands-on ‘discovering benthic macroinvertebrates’ session from 3 to 4 p.m.; with Ed and Tamara Poropat leading a late-night ‘nocturnal critters’ search from 8 to 9:30 p.m.
On Sunday, Thom Lambert is running a bird identification walk from 8 to 9:30 a.m., Belinda Gallagher hosts a wildflower walk from 10 to 11:30 a.m., and naturalist Jim Hopkins will teach people how to identify trees by their leaves, bark and other distinguishing features in an hour-long walk from noon to 1 p.m.
There is also a self-guided ‘water storybook walk’ located at Barnum Creek’s trailhead, put together by the Friends of Ecological and Environmental Learning (FEEL). Martin recommended people pre-register for the guided walks at www. haliburtonlandtrust.ca.
The data collected during the bioblitz will help HHLT update its management plan for Barnum Creek.
“Understanding what species are present and how that may be changing is really important… by taking inventory of the biodiversity on our properties, it gives us a lot of insight into what exactly we’re protecting.
“There’s some real scientific value, but this is also about celebrating the amazing natural diversity we have in Haliburton County. People don’t realize how many different species and wonderful things we have – we’re hoping this bioblitz changes that,” Martin said.
