Thank you to all who supported the 2022 Hassayampa Ecosystems BioBlitz!
Over the weekend of April 9-10, 2022, volunteer citizen scientists and wildlife experts came together for the Hassayampa Ecosystems BioBlitz (HEB) event. This effort was co-sponsored by AZTWS and the Arizona Game & Fish Department in collaboration with many other partner organizations. HEB aimed to collect diverse ecological inventory data to capture a snapshot of biodiversity in the area of the proposed Interstate-11 and promote advocacy for science-based wildlife management across the Arizona landscape. Over a 24-hour period, Blitzers and SMEs (Species Matter Experts) scanned the target area, which included the White Tank, Vulture, and Belmont Mountains and the Hassayampa Plains that connect them, for any and all living things.
Festivities began at 9am on Saturday morning and continued nonstop until 9am on Sunday. 110 registered citizen scientists or ‘Blitzers’ and 52 Species Matter Experts participated in 41 different guided excursions during the event, ranging from family-friendly wildlife walks to strenuous surveys. The Group Campground in White Tank Mountain Regional Park served as headquarters for the event, where many Blitzers set up camp for the night. Operation Centers were also set up at the White Tank Library and Hassayampa River Preserve. Most excursions focused on a specific taxa, inviting Blitzers to accompany an expert into the field and gain hands-on experience searching for and identifying different species.
All observations were recorded in a 24-hour iNaturalist project, which culminated in 2,047 observations of 490 unique species. 271 iNaturalist identifiers have already contributed to confirming species identifications, though many observations still need ID. If you’d like to help, search ‘Hassayampa Ecosystems BioBlitz 2022’ on iNaturalist! In addition to guided hikes and passive observation stations, excursions included land snail surveys, small mammal trapping, bat mist netting, owl broadcast call surveys, desert tortoise surveys, butterfly surveys, anabat acoustic stations, amphibian acoustic stations, and two camera traps that captured 14,658 images. At least 77 species were recorded on 39 eBird lists associated with the event as well.
The HEB target region was selected based on a number of contributing factors which make collecting ecological inventory data a priority, most of which revolve around human development and wildlife connectivity concerns. Currently, the Hassayampa Plains connect several mountain ranges between which wildlife is constantly moving. In the coming years, it is possible that these mountain ranges could become isolated and wildlife connectivity could be significantly reduced. The "priority zone" for the Hassayampa Ecosystems BioBlitz focused largely on a swath of land within the current "Selected Corridor Alternative" for the proposed Interstate-11. The Selected Corridor Alternative is a 2,000-foot-wide starting point within which the proposed I-11 could be built, stretching from Nogales to Wickenburg. More information about Interstate 11 (I-11) and the Intermountain West Corridor Study can be found on the ADOT website. The White Tank Mountains Conservancy’s Connectivity Initiative site also provides some excellent resources to learn more about wildlife connectivity efforts in this region.
The landscape in and around the HEB target area is also projected to change rapidly as human population increases in this fast-growing section of the Sun Corridor. In 2019, the U.S. Census Bureau identified Buckeye, AZ as the fastest growing city in the nation with a population of 50,000 or more based on change between 2017 and 2018 - and similar patterns of growth are expected over the coming decade for the entire region. These changes will undoubtedly impact wildlife and the ecosystems that currently exist in what is currently undeveloped desert landscape. Consideration of wildlife connectivity and conservation efforts are critical to protecting these ecosystems as human communities expand. The Hassayampa Ecosystems BioBlitz contributes an important snapshot of biodiversity in this vulnerable area. BioBlitz events are a valuable method of collecting ecological inventory data while also engaging the community in citizen science and wildlife conservation efforts. Tools like iNaturalist and eBird make citizen science increasingly accessible, allowing BioBlitz events and similar efforts to serve diverse goals and scales.
The 2022 Hassayampa Ecosystems BioBlitz was made possible by collaboration between partner organizations from across the state. Thank you AZTWS for your exceptional support! We would also like to acknowledge the Arizona Game & Fish Department, Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Department, Bureau of Land Management, White Tank Mountains Conservancy, Educating Children Outdoors, Maricopa County Master Naturalists, City of Surprise, City of Buckeye, Bashas’, and all of the individual Blitzers, Species Matter Experts, Event Logistics Volunteers, & Planning Crew Members who made this event possible!
Wrap Up Event Recording
BioBlitz Wrap Up! (2022-05-07 10:10 GMT-7)