Don’t miss this! On June 29 and 30, the fourth Upper Delaware BioBlitz will return to the site where it was launched in 2013—the 63.5 acre Gales Property in Starlight, PA. The Wayne County property is located at the junction of the East and West branches of the Delaware River at the intersection of PA Route 191 and PA Route 370, about one mile south of Hancock, NY.

A BioBlitz is a collaborative event aimed at compiling a snapshot of the life on a delineated property as an indicator of the biodiversity of the area. During a 24-hour period, scientists and other volunteers employ various collection techniques to assess the presence of mammals, birds, invertebrates, aquatic macroinvertebrates, fish, reptiles, amphibians, fungi, plants, mosses and lichens.

In 2013, nine teams of researchers collected 1,022 distinct species in 24 hours. On Saturday, June 30 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., the public is invited to view this year’s collected specimens, talk to the experts and learn about the site’s biodiversity.

The family-friendly event includes terrific walks and educational workshops (see the schedule at http://upperdelawarebioblitz.com/event/default.html). Fellow River Talk columnist, Scott Rando, and I, as well as photographers Dave Soete and Roy Morsch, will lead photography workshops. Come and hone your skills with any or all of us.

This year’s event will also feature a performance of “Trees” by the stilt walkers of NACL theatre. The new work explores the interdependence of trees and other species, along with how trees communicate. It will include performances by puppeteer John Bromberg and accordionist Doug Rogers.

Visit upperdelawarebioblitz.com or https://www.facebook.com/UpperDelawareBioBlitz/ for additional information.