The goal is comprehensive: to gather observations of plants, insects, fungi, birds, and anything else the land reveals in a single morning.
“ I ' m just one scientist with my specific area of focus,” says Bundrick.“ If we get a bunch of scientists and naturalists with different expertises together, we can collect a much wider swath of data and get a better understanding of what ' s out there.”
Tom Austin— director of land conservation at the Edisto Island Open Land Trust and southern regional director for the South Carolina Association of Naturalists— who participated in the BioBlitz, notes how powerful this model can be for learning a landscape. A BioBlitz, he explains, allows participants to“ pour over a property and understand what is actually there.” With multiple groups moving through different sections of the property— interior trails, upland areas, and the far western marsh edge— the morning produced far more than any one person could have gathered alone.“ You learn much more in a short amount of time than you could ever manage by yourself,” he says.
After the early birding session led by Wheeler, the group gathered at the homestead for coffee, snacks, and discussion. Joined by a second wave of volunteers, scientists and enthusiasts, they selfdivided into four groups designated by interest and mobility. One group focused on plants, another on birds, while others documented insects, fungi, and invertebrates. All findings were recorded through platforms like iNaturalist and eBird, capturing a permanent digital record of what was observed.
Across a few hours, participants documented a range of species, including late-season migratory birds like a Northern waterthrush. They encountered fungi and understory plants emerging in shaded pockets of the property. Austin pointed out an unusual sight— a devil’ s walking stick growing epiphytically from a live oak— while another group found fragments of Native American pottery in a sandy opening, adding an unexpected cultural layer to the day’ s discoveries.
These findings mark an important first step for the Conservancy, which is beginning long-term stewardship of the property.“ With any property like this, you want a baseline,” Wheeler says.“ You need to know what you have first, and then you can begin to layer in.” She explains that the Conservancy
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