Viridian to Host Third Annual Viridian Bioblitz
Think biology is only for scientists? Think again! Viridian is hosting the Third Annual Viridian Bioblitz on Saturday, April 22 from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m., and fun experiences are planned for the whole family. During this free event, participants will get to explore nature, meet some interesting creatures and take part in mini-field trips that include birds walks, frog call counting, and much more. Participants will meet at Overlook Park and free parking will be provided at the Viridian Lake Club, located at 1200 Viridian Park Lane.
Viridian is excited to be hosting the event again this year because it is at the essence of what makes the community so unique. Boasting a 2,000 acre master-plan which includes a nature reserve with 5 major lakes, 500 acres of open space and an additional 500 acres of lakes, rivers, streams and wetlands, nature is the heartbeat of Viridian. It is also the only master-planned community to be awarded the Audubon International Gold Signature Standard, in part due to innovative development methods that were designed to use flood control areas to enhance and preserve wildlife habitats.
What is a Bioblitz?
It’s an intense period of exploration and discovery where scientists and community members work together to document, map and learn about all the living organisms in an area.
Take a look at the tentative schedule and all that is planned!
6 – 9 a.m. Field Trip: Woodland Birds of Viridian
9 – 11 a.m. Field Trip: Shorebirds / Wetland and Water Birds of Viridian
8 – 3 p.m. Display: Texas Honey Bee Guild
8 – 9 a.m. Staff and Field Instructor Break
9 a.m. Display: Mussel Touch Tank Opens
9 – 9:20 a.m. Talk: Introduction to Aquatic Communities of Texas
9 – 11 a.m. Field Trip: Fishes and Aquatic macro-invertebrates of Viridian
10 – 3 p.m. Display: Natures Edge Wildlife & Reptile Rescue
10 – 11:30 a.m. Field Trip: Herps of Viridian
12:30 – 1 p.m. Talk: Introduction to Aquatic Communities of Texas
12:00 – 12:30 p.m. Staff and Field Instructor Break
1 – 3 p.m. Field Trip: Flora of Viridian
1 – 3 p.m. Field Trip: Wetland / Water Birds Field Trip
1 – 3 p.m. Field Trip: Meadow Birds Field Trip
Participants will be making many observations throughout this event, and they can be recorded by taking the following steps:
- Sign up or sign in at iNaturalist.org
- Go to http://www.inaturalist.org/places/viridian-arlington-texas
- Click on “Add an observation” and then type in what you saw, when you saw it and add a photo of it.
You can also download the Texas Nature Trackers App, or the iNaturalist App to make your observations.
Check out the event on Facebook and share it with your friends!
Questions about this event may be directed to Debra Meers at Viridian: debram@johnsondev.com
**Since this is an outdoor event, schedule is pending weather forecasts. Please check back the week of the event for details.**
About Viridian
Set on 2,000 acres in the heart of the Metroplex, Viridian, a project of Johnson Development Corp., is a unique community focused on setting the standard for harmonious interactions between humans and nature. Five hundred acres of open spaces and an additional 500 acres of lakes, rivers, streams, and wetlands allow homeowners to enjoy a pristine natural landscape in central DFW. Learn more about Viridian's lifestyle here.
About iNaturalist
iNaturalist is an online social network of people sharing biodiversity information to help each other learn about nature. It’s also a crowdsourced species identification system and an organism occurrence recording tool. The goals of iNaturalist are to connect people to nature and to generate scientifically valuable biodiversity data from these personal encounters. Learn more about iNaturalist here.
