Recording some of the biodiversity discovered within the city of Melbourne, Victoria has created great interest from residents and visitors who took part in the 2016 BioBlitz.
The 24-hour event was held at key locations including the University of Melbourne Parkville campus, Carlton Gardens, Westgate Park and Royal Park.
According to City of Melbourne organisers, the 17 partner organisations helping to put on the event supplied 36 survey leaders, many of whom were volunteers, and together they hosted a total of 26 events.
The major citizen science programme was first held in 2014 to enable community members to work with experts to uncover, learn about and document the different species of plants and animals that call Melbourne home.
A spokesman said the species could be found anywhere, including streets, laneways, backyards and balconies.
He said discovered species would contribute to an Urban Ecology and Biodiversity Strategy to be implemented by the City of Melbourne.
Participants were also encouraged to take photographs of the different species to make it easier for experts to accurately identify and record them.
The spokesman said the city was rich in biodiversity but it was currently undergoing rapid change due to climate change pressures, cultural change, population growth, habitat loss and governance decisions.
He said while events such as BioBlitz are largely an inventory of a geographic area’s known species, which have been recorded on topical Brochures and via booklet printing, the exercise provided an ideal opportunity to discover new species as well.
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