You’re invited to count critters at Lake Lagunita

The area surrounding Stanford’s Lake Lagunita is home to many plants and a variety of critters, including birds, insects, reptiles and mammals. On Saturday (4/15), a group of ecology-minded students will be identifying and counting as many as possible – and asking the public to participate.

During Saturday’s BioBlitz 2011, Stanford faculty and graduate students, as well as local experts, will lead groups of participants into the field to help them find and classify the animals and plants living in different habitats. The free event is organized by Stanford SEEDS: Strategies for Ecology Education, Diversity and Sustainability.

The sign-up for BioBlitz 2011 begins at 7:00 am near the fire pit at the Lomita Drive entrance to Lake Lagunita.

Birdwatchers will set out at 7:00, followed by reptile and amphibian hunters at 8:30, and mammal finders at 10:00. The plant and insect identifiers will leave at 12:30 pm. Late arrivals will be directed to teams in the field.

Last year, more than 60 people, including students, community members and children, scoured the tall grass around the lake. Together, they identified almost 50 species of birds and three different kinds of snakes.

Melissae Fellet is a science-writing intern at the Stanford News Service.
Photo courtesy of Stanford SEEDS