The public is invited to a free weekend of fun and learning at the

12th Annual Prairie Bioblitz and National Prairie Day to be held at Carver Prairie near Joplin, MO on June 3 and 4, 2023.

Join biologists, volunteer naturalists, and other prairie enthusiasts at Missouri Prairie Foundation’s Carver Prairie to celebrate National Prairie Day (June 3), founded by the Missouri Prairie Foundation, and help biologists inventory plants, birds, insects, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and more. The weekend will also feature a potluck dinner with a fish fry, live bluegrass music from No Apparent Reason, free tent camping, and nocturnal insect observations and star gazing. Activities continue through early afternoon on Sunday.

Participants may enjoy an afternoon or morning of activities or stay for the whole weekend. An interest in nature is all that is required to attend. The event is free of charge, but attendees must register for Prairie BioBlitz activities for planning purposes and to assure a spot in field study groups.

“The Missouri Prairie Foundation is very pleased to offer this weekend of learning and fun,” said Carol Davit, the Missouri Prairie Foundation’s executive director. “Temperate grasslands are the most endangered, least conserved of any major terrestrial habitat on earth—and therefore Missouri’s tallgrass prairies have global conservation significance,” said Davit. “Participants will learn more about and see firsthand the incredible biodiversity present on the prairie while helping document the different kinds of plants and animals we can find.”

For a detailed schedule, directions to the prairie, and to register for Prairie BioBlitz activities, visit https://moprairie.org/event/bioblitz-2023/. To learn more about Carver Prairie, visit https://moprairie.org/project/carver-prairie/.