Journal archives for January 2020

January 28, 2020

2019 Yearly Summary and Winter Observation Challenge

The Runge Biodiversity Project has wrapped up another year of observations, and what a year it has been! 2019 was a record breaking year for the project in regards to the number of observers, members added, observations made, and species observed. We also hosted our first ever Runge Bioblitz this past June. The event attracted over 500 participants, including 41 observers that made over 850 observations of 459 species in just 24 hours. There is no doubt this effort led to a record breaking month of June with 59 observers adding 927 observations, more than half of what we averaged during the last two years (2017 with 1623, and 2018 with 1658 observation made). In total, 103 observers made 3109 observations of 1013 species during 2019. This brings our project total to 140 observers that have made 6453 observations of 1468 species since March of 2017. Purple coneflower (Echinecea purpurea) was the most frequently observed organism during the year, with 33 observations. Of course, we could not have done any of this without the iNaturalist community, the 835 identifiers that added their expertise to the project, and most importantly ...YOU!!!


Winter Observation Scavenger Hunt Challenge

Winter can be a challenging time to get outside and observe Missouri's flora and fauna. The prairies, forests, and aquatic habitats that cover the state seem like they are devoid of life, but we know better. Challenge yourself to get outside this winter by participating in our iNaturalist observation scavenger hunt. Scavenger hunts can be found at the front desk of the nature center. After completing the hunt using the iNaturalist app or website and adding your observations to the "Runge Biodiversity Project," stop at the front desk to receive a free nature discovery item. Don't forget to share your favorite observations using Instagram - #RungeBiodiversityProject. Get out, observe, and explore this winter!

Posted on January 28, 2020 10:44 PM by amlambert11 amlambert11 | 0 comments | Leave a comment