A BioBlitz focused on flowering plants and their pollinators will be held at Hot Springs National Park/NPS

Avocational and aspiring scientists alike are invited to join staff at Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas next month for a BioBlitz at the park.

The event will focus on the biodiversity of flowering plants and pollinators and engage in hands-on science in the park for citizen scientists. Your observations will contribute valuable data to Hot Springs National Park and world-wide efforts to understand and protect pollinators and their habitats.  

Participants are encouraged to use the iNaturalist app on their smart phones or tablets to join the event by uploading pictures. Park rangers, scientists, and field experts will be on hand with their expertise to help you identify everything you find. Explorers of all ages are needed.

This event is free and open to the public. Whether you have a couple of hours or a full day, whether you want to join a field group or make observations on your own, there are activities to engage the whole family.  

Day 1: May 1, 2021  

• Registration begins at 8 a.m. on Arlington Lawn, on the corner of Fountain Street and Central Avenue. Participants who register will be given free T-shirts as a token of appreciation. Orientation begins at 8:30 a.m.  
• Field Group #1 - Anyone interested will be assigned to a group with a group leader to explore one of eight different locations in the park. The first groups should expect to be out in the field from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.  
• Field Group #2 - There will be a second field group in the afternoon. You can sign up at any point before 12 p.m. to join the second group. Meet at the registration table at 12:30 p.m. to meet your group leader and be assigned a location. The second field group should expect to be out from 1 p.m.- 4 p.m.  
• From 11 a.m.–3 p.m., park partners will host a “Pollinator Fair” on Arlington Lawn. There will be pollinator displays, interactive activities, and other fun, family-friendly events.  

Day 2: May 2, 2021 

• The registration table will be open from 11 a.m.–3 p.m. in front of the Fordyce Bathhouse and Visitor Center. A park ranger will be available to answer questions, help participants with the iNaturalist app, and identify what you have found around the park.  

Be sure to check out the park’s BioBlitz page, www.inaturalist.org/projects/hot-springs-national-park-centennial-bioblitz for more project information. Feel free to call the Fordyce Bathhouse and Visitor Center with any questions, (501) 620-6715.