Maitai BioBlitz reveals rich biodiversity
28/02/2025 4:02pm
Nelson City Council is celebrating the success of its recent Maitai BioBlitz, held at the end of January.
The 24-hour event saw an impressive 350+ species recorded, highlighting the rich biodiversity within our local environment.
The BioBlitz, centered around Branford Park, involved a variety of survey methods. Teams explored the native bush, conducted stream surveys using macroinvertebrate sampling and electric fishing, and deployed wildlife cameras and moth traps overnight.
The community played a crucial role in the event, with 89 people contributing to the identification and verification of findings on the iNaturalist platform. In total, 677 individual observations were logged, showcasing the power of citizen science.
The diverse range of species identified included plants, fungi, insects, spiders, arthropods (like freshwater shrimp, koura, and centipedes), molluscs (snails and slugs), mammals (possums, rabbits, cats, and hedgehogs), fish, birds, and even protozoans such as slime moulds.
Of the recorded species, 200 were native to New Zealand, while 153 were classified as ‘introduced’. Council notes that many introduced species, such as vine-weeds, possums, and rats, pose a significant threat to our native biodiversity. Understanding the distribution of these introduced species is crucial for effective management strategies aimed at protecting our native plants and wildlife. The data collected during the BioBlitz will be invaluable in informing these efforts.
An eDNA survey of the stream detected 280 taxa - the vast majority being aquatic organisms that were too hard to detect or identify on the day, along with more recognisable animals that are present in the area but were not recorded - revealing that our biodiversity is wider than we realize.
Council extends a huge thank you to everyone who participated in the Maitai BioBlitz, contributing to this valuable snapshot of our local ecosystem. If you would like to see how diverse your backyard is, download the iNaturalist app and get recording!
