Discover Alabama Biodiversity at Little River Canyon Center’s Annual BioBlitz

06/11/2024


Photo/JSU Canyon Center

Fort Payne, AL – The Jacksonville State University Field School and the Little River National Preserve will host the annual BioBlitz on Friday and Saturday at the Little River Canyon Center. The free event invites all ages to help identify and catalog the plants and animals of Little River Canyon National Preserve.

Event Highlights

Friday, June 14:

  • A park employee holds a toad2:00 PM: Discovery Station at Little River Falls
  • 5:30 PM: Light refreshments before the evening activities begin
  • 6:00 PM: Special presentation by Alabama native, social media influencer and Founder of the Native Habitat Project Kyle Lybarger. Kyle will share his insights on managing native ecosystems and conserving rare plant species.
  • 7:15 PM: Family friendly trivia event open to all ages. Expect the unexpected with trivia questions spanning topics from entomology, music, sports, and more.
  • 8:15 PM: The Jax State Field School will lead a guided night hike to Little River Falls while others search for moths and insects using black lights at Little River Falls.
Saturday, June 15:
  • 6:30 AM: A guided bird hike that will start the day and will begin at the Little River Canyon Center
  • 10:00 AM: Snorkel survey or guided hike at Canyon Mouth Park
  • 2:30 PM: BioBlitz Awards and Venomous Snakes of Alabama with the Alabama Herpetological Society. This is an educational program which includes live snakes.

A participant holds a butterfly logged during the Bio BlitzThe BioBlitz aims to document the rich biodiversity of the preserve, which includes over 50 species of reptiles and amphibians, 40 species of fish, 145 species of birds and many rare plants. Participants use smart phones and the iNaturalist app to take photos and sound recordings to identify, record and document species found. Last year’s event recorded 375 species and over 800 observations.

All events are free and open to the public. For more information, contact the Canyon Center at 256-845-3548, visit CanyonCenter.org and follow the JSU Field School on Facebook.

Join others for a weekend of exploration, education, and community science at the Little River BioBlitz!