Drumlin Farm Preschool teacher, Susan Edwards Richmond, has written a new book about a young boy and his cousin participating in a Biodiversity Day count (or BioBlitz) at a local park. .
The two cousins, Ava and Gabriel, compete on different teams to identify the most different species. You might be amazed at the large number of insects, birds, and small mammals that inhabit even a very small plot of land. Readers follow the two teams through a variety of habitats, where they spot dozens of different species over the course of the day. Kids will enjoy finding all the species (some are hidden in the illustration) that appear on the lists compiled in each habitat. Several different techniques for viewing species, such as rolling logs to discover critters living underneath and shining lights on white sheets at night to attract moths, are highlighted.
In the end, Ava’s team spots one more species than Gabriel’s, but Gabriel earns a special award for discovering a species of special concern in their area, a blue-spotted salamander. Because of all they have learned from the Bioblitz, the cousins realize that the real winner is the park and all its visitors.
After reading Bioblitz!, students, their parents and teachers, will be eager to participate in a biodiversity day in their own community!
Hardcover picture book for ages 3-8.
