For Bio Blitz, I studied microbes. We took soil samples from various parts of the New York Botanical Gardens to be further analyzed for microbe populations after the event. It was an interesting experience because I have never taken a soil sample before. The actual process of taking the sample was quick and easy, so the majority of time was spent walking around the gardens learning about the wildlife. To take the soil samples, you had to find a clear spot of soil away from the roots of the plants, insert a tube until you get around 20 mL of soil, then insert a smaller tube into the larger one to get a core sample of the soil. After that was accomplished, the hole was filled back in, and the tube with the sample was labeled for analysis.

One of the most interesting plants we talked about was the pitcher plant. It is a carnivorous plant like the venus fly trap. Unlike the venus fly trap, the pitcher plant lures bugs into its mouth by producing an enticing aroma. Once the insect gets into the plant’s mouth, it cannot escape, and it is trapped in there until it is digested. Another good experience while at BioBlitz was when we got to go off the trail to take samples in the woods. This a good experience because if we were not apart of the event, we would never have been able to go off the trail to explore that part of the Botanical Gardens.