WSU BioBlitz helps students, biologists learn area's ecology

The 3rd Annual Biological Field Station BioBlitz will be held from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 25, at the Wichita State University Biological Field Station: Ninnescah Reserve in Kingman County.

The Ninnescah BioBlitz provides an opportunity to discover the biological diversity of birds, plants, reptiles, insects and aquatic critters in south-central Kansas.

It engages Wichita-area high school students in exploring plant and animal biodiversity, and it helps raise awareness of local and global biological diversity.

This is a fun event for all of its participants, and it blends science and a celebration of nature.

This year's BioBlitz biologists will lead student research teams to investigate turtles, insects, mussels, prairie plants, reptiles and amphibians, and fish in central Kansas.

About 50 students from Wichita East, Wichita North and Wichita South high schools, as well as Neosho County Community College, will take part in activities.

BioBlitz biologists include Wichita State Department of Biology faculty and graduate students, Wichita high school biologists and Wichita-area experts.

The Ninnescah BioBlitz provides an annual survey of regional biodiversity, and it uses repeatable field protocol that is aimed at creating long-term data for ecological analyses.

Besides the Ninnescah Reserve site, WSU's Biological Field Station has two more sites: the Sellers Reserve and the recently acquired Gerber Reserve.

Directions to the Biological Field Station: Ninnescah Reserve are available at http://webs.wichita.edu/?u=bioscience&p=/fieldStation/fieldMap/.

In case of inclement weather, the event will be held from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 2.