Keller BioBlitz Sept 29th 5pm-9:30pm
This is a PUBLIC EVENT OPEN TO EVERYONE, so feel free to invite anyone that would be interested in hanging out with some really great naturalists and iNaturalist's very best!
My birthday is coming up and my family always asks if there is anything I want. This year, I have a very loud YEAH!! A BIRTHDAY BIOBLITZ!! Absolutely nothing compares to sharing my time and passion with friends and family! And making new friends, too!!
We'll have a daylight BioBlitz from 5pm to 7pm to document all the living things at Overton Ridge Park in Keller (my new "pet iNat project,") followed by some blacklighting until 9:30pm to see the night time insects, too!
So, invite your friends, bring your bug spray, cameras, your blacklight setups, your family, and your hiking boots! I'll provide drinks and light snacks.
Here's a little about the location:
Overton Ridge Park (located at 821 Weybridge Lane, Keller, TX 76248) is an 8 acre neighborhood park that is being expanded by 11 acres to include a natural area. The developed part has a playground, basketball court, covered pavillion, outdoor grill, a water fountain, and 2 no-mow fields. (Note: NO bathrooms.) The exciting part is the expansion! It's the old wooded homesite of local sportscaster Dale Hansen. The house has been removed, but some of the old buildings remain (horse barn, grotto pool, tennis court). The majority of the site is covered in oak and hickory trees with a nice footpath up the hill to an overlook where the house used to be and an unmowed horse pasture. (Unfortunately no surface water, just a dried up drainage ditch.) The city has scheduled development in the next year or two, and I'd really like to show them the biodiversity already present so they will keep it as native as possible. If you are interested in bringing your mothing stuff, be advised that there are no electric hookups except one in the pavillion near security lights. There is no formal parking area yet, so parking is in a cul-de-sac area and along the neighborhood streets.
Here is a link to the observations I've made so far:
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/overton-ridge-park-keller
Here is a map to the park:
https://goo.gl/maps/sJqdWZuHUoJ2
If you want to share the event on Facebook, here's a link for that:
https://www.facebook.com/events/335192733902391/
And absolutely no gifts... your presence is my present! The more the merrier!!!
Kommentit
Tagging some folks I want to share this with that I might not have contact with on Facebook! @sambiology @naturenut @walkingstick2 @bob777 @itmndeborah @cameralenswrangler @catenatus @daniel112 @aguilita @pfau_tarleton (ahem) @lovebirder @mikef451 @k8thegr8 @betsymarsh @john604 @heymrsstringer @nanofishology @greglasley @gcwarbler @sarah774
Very cool, @kimberlietx ! I'll see if I can make it out.
@kimberlietx Thanks for this great effort and opportunity! I am thinking hard about, "to come or not". I have committed to a local Bioblitz in Austin on the following morning. The idea of being able to do both is appealing to me, however I would need another family member to ride to Keller with me. I will get back to you.
I'll have to put this down as a maybe, but I definitely want to come! How bad are the mosquitos right now?
Would love to join you (...and Happy BD!) but I'll just be rolling back into Texas that day (or the 30th or 31st) from the West.
@mikef451 I know it's hard not to spend all your days running from one BioBlitz to another! ;) I'd love to see you there if you can, but don't feel like you have to knock yourself out.
@nanofishology They aren't too bad at this location until you get into the thicker underbrush right after a rainy or really humid day. Unfortunately, we have had a case of West Nile in the city, so I'd recommend taking precautions anyway.
@gcwarbler Always the man on the go! BTW, I have something to ask you about regarding collecting microleps for a collection. I'll msg you!
There's a place just a couple of miles from there where I need to collect gophers, so I was planning on doing that earlier in the day and then meeting up at the park...until I realized that the 29th is my son's 15th birthday!
@kimberlietx Thanks for including me. It's on my calendar.
@kimberlietx it looks as though my wife Carol and my Daughter Mariah, will be with me for the trip up to Keller. Good chance I will be to sleepy for the drive home. Looking forward to it! Thanks again.
@mikef451 That's great!
Happy early birthday! I would love to be there but that is the night of my ninth grader's first Homecoming Dance. If I can slip away once he is out the door, I will definitely join you!
****** BIOBLITZ INFO ******
The weather forecast for this weekend has been all over the board. The official plan is to carry on unless it's pouring rain. More importantly, though, I need to share some info on the mosquito situation in Keller. Approximately 5 miles from the park (as the uninfected crow flies), 2 Keller residents have confirmed West Nile in the last 3 weeks. Like many other cities in the metroplex, Keller has been spraying when positive samples are found, but to my knowledge that has not been near the park. If you have health issues or young children, please take precautions such as bug spray, long sleeves and pants, or even staying HOME if necessary!
I will post an update here on Saturday morning, but if you are driving a long distance feel free to call or text me to check on the situation before you leave. My cell is 682-five nine seven-0612.
What, nobody else has a waterproof backup camera for when it pours???
I'm still planning to come, will probably leave around noon so I can stuff my face at Spiral Diner on my way.
***** WEATHER UPDATE *****
The weather tomorrow is still anyone's guess! It looks like there will be scattered showers in the afternoon, but nothing that would stop us from our BioBlitz! See you there!!
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