Conservation: BioBlitz great chance to learn

Bushy Park Bioblitz The Museum will be helping with a BioBlitz at Bushy Park Sanctuary, from midday on Saturday 13 February to midday Sunday 14 February. A BioBlitz is a 24-hour event where scient

Act local, think global is a neat phrase and seemed very appropriate for this Conservation Comment.

We greatly enjoyed our first BioBlitz at Bushy Park a couple of weekends ago and we are looking forward to Sea Week activities at Castlecliff next week. Plus, we'll no doubt be stirred to further actions by watching the international film This Changes Everything on March 9 at the Embassy.

Discovering that all around us, and even under our feet, in the bush were numerous bugs and beasties was an exciting experience. Even more impressive at the BioBlitz was the willingness of scientists, both local and visiting, and knowledgeable local amateurs to all share their knowledge and equipment, while including us in their weekend's research. We were welcomed and invited to be involved, regardless of our age, skill or knowledge.

In addition, we were particularly struck by the breadth of environmental expertise we have here in Whanganui. For a small provincial town, we sure do punch above our size in so many respects, be it art, sport or science.

Becoming "malacologists" for the afternoon, we went off to collect and sieve litter from the forest floor, from which some beautiful tiny snails were extracted. Garden snails are just so plain in comparison to these wee beauties. Viewed under a microscope, their patterns, spines and even translucent shells are amazing.

Graham also discovered, while tramping along the forest trails with Rudi to recover his insect-trapping net, that this tent-like structure is called a Malaise trap. It's named after Rene Malaise, a Swedish entomologist, who - after a frustrating day catching very little - returned to his tent to discover it swarming with insects. "Eureka!" He had the basis of a great trap design.

Another local activity that will keep us busy is next week's Sea Week. We are expecting 400-plus school children in total, from an early childhood centre, plus primary and intermediate schools, to visit Castlecliff Beach and sand dunes during the week from Monday, February 29 to Friday, March 4 and beyond.

Local DOC staff are again coordinating Sea Week, with environmental educators from the Whanganui Regional Museum, Sarjeant Gallery, Coast Care and Horizon's Enviro-Schools all providing a wide range of workshops for students. Another event with lots of co-operation, and ideas and resources-sharing.

Taking the opportunity to think about global issues and see what others are doing in their locality to combat climate change is the final part of today's comment.

Sustainable Whanganui trustees, and many others, have arranged the showing of the amazing film This Changes Everything. This will provide a great chance to update ourselves on global environmental issues. Having read Naomi Klein's book of the same name, we recommend the film, made concurrently as she wrote the book.

Tickets can be purchased at www.tugg.com/events/89939. Grab yours now and join us at the Embassy at 7.30 on March 9. See you there.

-Graham and Lyn Pearson are retired locals who enjoy contributing their time and energy to local environmental projects.