The Pembina Valley Bioblitz was an enthusiastic endeavour to find and celebrate the variety of life at the A Rocha Pembina Valley Interpretive Centre. It brought together biologists, naturalists, and admirers of the valley eager to search high and low for as many species as possible.
It is readily apparent that the Pembina Valley is a beautiful place to visit, but it takes a little more attention to notice the diversity of life that makes its home in the Pembina Valley. However, 15 naturalists and biologists helped us identify over 325 plant and animal species in the Pembina Valley within a 24-hour period.
And this list is not complete! Some of the biologists took samples back to their lab to identify more accurately, which will raise the final tally. This is especially important for entomologists (studiers of insects), who have a more difficult task in identifying the specific species of insect they have found as the differences between insect species can be subtle.
On the second day of counting we invited the public to celebrate and learn about the Pembina Valley’s biodiversity. Participants were able to add to the counts, learn to nature journal, go on guided hikes, fish for pond-critters, and learn about watersheds.
Biodiversity has to do with the variety of plant, animal, and fungus species present in an area. It is worth monitoring and celebrating because it is declining throughout the world. Since ecosystem health depends on the interactions between species, biodiversity helps ecosystems to be more sustainable and resilient by providing more species to interact within the system. This is important for people because we rely on ecosystems for basic needs such as clean air and water and pollination of our crops.
This event received support from TD Bank’s Friends of the Environment Fund, Winkler Morden Co-op, and the Pembina Valley Conservation District. PVIC is deeply grateful for each of their support and involvement in the project. PVIC is also very thankful for the help of the naturalists and biologists who supported the Bioblitz.
The Pembina Valley Bioblitz was a 24-hour effort from June 2-3 to identify as many plant and animal species at PVIC as possible and to celebrate the Pembina Valley’s biodiversity.
Polyphemus Moth
