A young boy and his cousin compete to identify the most different
species on a biodiversity count day at a local park
You might be amazed at the large number of insects, birds, and small
mammals that inhabit even a very small plot of land. In this story
Gabriel's dad, a ranger for the local municipal park, is helping with a
Biodiversity Day (or Bioblitz), and he invites Gabriel and his cousin
Ava to participate. With Gabriel's expertise in bugs and Ava's eye for
birds, the two cousins are eager to start the hunt in the park. They are
placed on different teams, competing to see which group finds the most
species of animal life in the time allotted.
Readers follow the two teams through a variety of habitats, where they
spot dozens of different species over the course of the day. Kids will
enjoy finding all the species (some are hidden in the illustration) that
appear on the lists compiled in each habitat. Several different
techniques for viewing species--rolling logs to discover critters living
underneath and shining lights on white sheets at night to attract moths,
for example--are highlighted.
Plot action in this community science adventure revolves around the
competition between the cousins, who check in with each other at
intervals to compare lists. In the end, Ava's team spots one more
species than Gabriel's, but Gabriel earns a special award for
discovering a species of special concern in their area, a blue-spotted
salamander. Because of all they have learned from the Bioblitz, the
cousins realize that the real winner is the park and all its visitors.
After reading Bioblitz!, students--as well as their parents and
teachers--will be eager to participate in a biodiversity day in their
own community!
