Trinidad and Tobago's 7th annual Bioblitz goes to Toco in 2018
Bioblitz is a 24 hour event where scientists, naturalists and members of the public all come together to collect, identify and record as many species of fungi, plant and animal in a certain area. It is an opportunity for the public to see scientists at work and allows scientists to share their knowledge with others. It can also promote an area and showcase the biodiversity to be found there.
This year will be the seventh edition and the chosen location is Toco to take place on 17-18 November. Toco is located in north east Trinidad and represents a portion of the island that has not been covered yet for the 24 hour event. It represents an area that covers a portion of the Northern Range forest as well as coastal ecosystems. The base camp will be the Toco Regional Complex. The main organizers for the Bioblitz are once again the Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists' Club in collaboration with The University of the West Indies Zoology Museum (UWIZM). This year as in past editions, it is sponsored by First Citizens.
Given that there are proposed works to build a port in the area, these surveys offer a baseline of the biodiversity that are likely to be impacted by the work. What species of reptiles and amphibians are likely to be found in the area and how many? Perhaps something rare or new? Stay tuned to find out next week!
