BOG BIOBLITZ II Birds and Butterflies and Spiders and Dragonflies and Wildflowers, Oh My!
Join expert naturalists in the Sax-Zim Bog during our Second Annual BOG BIOBLITZ. The BioBlitz concept is to bring together experts in many areas of flora and fauna who then go out into the field on one specific day to get a snapshot of the biodiversity in a certain area. Friends of Sax-Zim Bog BioBlitz puts a twist on this by opening it up to the public to make it an educational and fun event. We plan on making this an annual event/party but moving it around the calendar to get a clearer picture of the diversity of organisms that make up the 300-square-mile Sax-Zim Bog. WHEN: Saturday, August 2nd, 2014 WHERE: Sax-Zim Bog Welcome Center near Meadowlands, Minnesota. (See directions below) SCHEDULE: 6:00 a.m.—The "Early Bird" Birding field trip will depart at 6:15 am and return to the Welcome Center by 8:45 a.m. (In time to join the 9 a.m. field trips) 8:45 a.m.—If you want to go in the field with one of our experts, please be at the Friends of Sax-Zim Bog Welcome Center by 8:45am. Trips will depart at 9am and return to the Center around Noon. See list of field trips below. Noon-2 p.m.: All the field trips will return to the Welcome Center and share their finds. We'll have a stereoscope to really examine some of our unique spiders, insects and dragonflies. BYOL: Bring your own Lunch. We'll have drinks available. Noon-2 p.m.—BOOK SIGNING & BOOK SALE: There will be many North Woods field guides for sale and Larry Weber will be signing his new books Spiders of the North Woods 2nd Edition and Backyard Almanac: 365 Days of Northern Natural History (as well as his Butterflies of the North Woods and Fascinating Fungi of the North Woods). Friends of Sax-Zim Bog merchandise will also be available, including hats, t-shirts, mugs, and zip hoods. 2 p.m.-5 p.m.—Explore the Bog on your own. Welcome Center will be open until 5 p.m. FIELD TRIPS (9 a.m. to noon): Spiders with Chad Heins Fungi, Spiders and Butterflies with Larry Weber Butterflies, Birds and Insects with Sparky Stensaas Birds with Ben Yokel & Kim Eckert Dragonflies with Jeff Fisher Wildflowers with Kelly O'Brien Beaster …and more to be announced shortly COST: FREE for all! But this will also be a good time to become a member, renew your membership, and learn about Friends of Sax-Zim Bog's mission to "Preserve, Promote, and Protect the Sax-Zim Bog Important Bird Area" for future generations of birds and birders. Friends is a 501c3 non-profit. Membership is a donation of $20 or more and is good for Free field trips during the next 12 months. WHAT TO BRING: All field participants should wear good footwear...Rubber boots would be ideal, but not all trips will be going into the bogs. Bug dope! (maybe the mosquitos won't be so bad by then…but don't count on it), hat, sunscreen. Also bring your own water, snacks, drinks, lunch (There is one cafe in Cotton also). Collecting gear if you have it. We may be netting some dragonflies and collecting some spiders. We will be releasing critters back into the wild. Don't forget your camera! WHAT TO EXPECT: Some trips will all be along the dirt roads with no extensive hiking required. Some trips may require rubber boots (or wet feet). Some trips may involve bushwhacking into an actual bog. Feel free to call or email Sparky to inquire. QUESTIONS?: Call or email Friends of Sax-Zim Bog executive director Sparky Stensaas: phone: 218.341.3350 email: [email protected] DIRECTIONS TO WELCOME CENTER ON OWL AVENUE (Also marked on our birding map available at www.saxzim.org) Directions from Cotton, MN on US53... *Go West from Cotton on CR52/Arkola for 11 miles *Turn South (left) on Owl Avenue *Go 1.75 miles (second curve) to Welcome Center Directions from Meadowlands, on CR133... *Go East on CR133 to CR229/29 *Turn North (left) on CR229/29 *Go North to T at Correction Line Rd *Turn West (left) on Correction Line Rd *Road curves North and becomes Owl Ave *Go North on Owl Avenue for 2.5 miles to Welcome Center Sparky Stensaas 2515 Garthus Road Wrenshall MN 55797 218.341.3350 [email protected] www.ThePhotoNaturalist.com www.KollathStensaas.com www.SaxZim.org ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
