What's part contest, part festival, part educational event, part scientific endeavor? The Four Rivers Environmental Coalition's bioblitz Day of Discovery Saturday, May 17th Beginning at 7:00 am at Jarrett Prairie Center at the Byron Forest Preserve 7993 N. River Road, Byron, IL This great day is provided to you…ALL FREE!!! What is a BioBlitz? A BioBlitz is a scientific race against time, measuring the diversity of life to be found in a defined area. The more diverse the living organisms, the greater the quality of the habitat. Participate all-day or for part of this exciting program as we send scientists and citizen assistants out in the field to identify and count as many different life forms as they can. They have only one day to complete this assessment of the site's biodiversity, and you can help! The BioBlitz fieldwork sessions begin at 7:00 am and continue throughout the day. Session topics include: Rock River Critters, Birds, Fungi, Insects, Woodland Plants, Prairie Plants. In addition to field sessions, there will also be informational programs featuring live reptiles and birds of prey. Please arrive 15 minutes prior to the start of your session to allow time for check-in. You may sign up for one or more of the sessions. Field team workers must be at least 8 years old and must register in order to participate in one or more of these sessions. An adult must accompany children under the age of 14. No prior experience or scientific knowledge is required; just a good curiosity is all that is needed. The day will conclude with a report of the day's findings at 4:00 pm. Pre-registration is required for the fieldwork sessions and begins March 17. We expect the day to fill up quickly and space is limited, advance registration is strongly recommended. Registration Fee: FREE To register click the registration link above. Session 1: 7:00 am-9:00 am Session 2: 9:30 am-11:15 am A) Birds A) Birds B) Insects C) Woodland Plants D) Prairie Plants E) Rock River Critters LUNCH 11:15 am-12:00 pm (bring your own or buy one there, food vendors on-site) Session 3: 12:00 pm-1:45 pm Session 4: 2:00 pm-3:45 pm A) Fungi B) Woodland Plants C) Insects D) Birds of Prey (informational live animal program) A) Fungi B) Prairie Plants C) Reptiles (info live animal program D) Life Underground Final Data Presentation: A Biodiversity Tally: 4:00 pm-4:30 pm Please arrive 15 minutes prior to the start of your session to allow time for check-in. You may sign up for one or more of the sessions.