The first ABOL BioBlitzes 2024

Thanks to the Biodiversity Fund projects ABOL-RefDat and GeMonA+, our ABOL team at the Natural History Museum Vienna grew at the beginning of 2024 and the first BioBlitzes were a good opportunity to support data collection and networking in the biodiversity community.

This year’s Day of Biodiversity of the Biosphere Reserve Wienerwald took place in Vienna-Liesing, at the same time part of the ABOL team traveled to the ÖEG insect camp in the Karwendel Nature Reserve.

On the occasion of the City Nature Challenge, an excursion to the Vienna-Liesing study area around Himmelswiese started at the end of April. Some species were already recorded there and on the Days of Biodiversity on June 8th and 9th this list of species was further expanded.  In ideal weather conditions, which only made catching insects difficult due to occasional gusts of wind, we went along forest paths and extensive meadows to different types of water. The bright expert T-shirts meant that we kept meeting interested visitors or experts from other species groups, which led to nice conversations.

At the Biodiversity Festival, we shared an information stand with the Mycological Society, which was packed thanks to the favorable mushroom weather beforehand!

The Day of Biodiversity came to a cozy end at a nearby wine tavern, to which all experts were invited. A big thank you to the organizing team, as always it was a great experience that ran smoothly!

Impressions (photos: M. Sonnleitner)