Eco-Adventure supports research into Great Smoky Mountains biodiversity

0

As days grow shorter in the Great Smoky Mountains, the colorful landscape hums with life. Creatures large and small scurry through the blanket of fallen leaves gathering nuts and berries, crafting intricate homes to wait out the winter, and preparing for the stillness of the season ahead.

“It’s a great time to be out in the park,” said Jaimie Matzko, biodiversity program specialist for Discover Life in America, a nonprofit partner of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. “In spring, things are winding up, but fall is a winding down. All sorts of species are out and about, getting ready for the colder months. You end up seeing a lot of wildlife activity around this time.”

These transitional seasons, she continued, are the perfect time to engage visitors in DLiA’s work. Through its flagship project, the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory, the Gatlinburg-based nonprofit aims to identify, catalog and observe the park’s estimated 60,000-plus species. Currently, less than half of that approximate number has been officially identified by park scientists – and DLiA’s first fall Great Smokies Eco-Adventure, held Oct. 27–29, presents a unique opportunity to join the search, combing the underbrush with park scientists to record sightings of even the tiniest, most often overlooked creatures.

link

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *