Media release – Bob Brown Foundation, 23 November 2023

takayna BioBlitz 2023 – Connecting citizen science and activism to protect takayna

Two hundred citizens and scientists will join Bob Brown Foundation’s campaigners in takayna for our ninth annual BioBlitz.

takayna BioBlitz 2023 will be held from the evening of Thursday 23 November, with surveys running from Friday morning to Sunday 26 November at 1pm. Scientists, citizen scientists, and the foundation’s campaign team all will come together in Tasmania’s northwest for a weekend of biological surveying in takayna / Tarkine.

“takayna still has so much to reveal – from its rainforests to rivers and buttongrass plains, the richness of one of the last wild places on Earth is yet to be protected from logging and mining destruction,” said Scott Jordan, Bob Brown Foundation takayna Campaigner.

“Now in its ninth year, BioBlitz is a remarkable mobilisation of the general public to get out into takayna to document its incredible natural values. Bob Brown Foundation has taken over 500 scientists, volunteers and supporters into takayna to explore, observe and record the species of flora, fauna and fungi that live there. During our BioBlitzes, we have made more than 3200 observations, recorded over 1800 species, and enjoyed countless hours of the beautiful and ancient takayna landscape,” said Scott Jordan.

“During these nine years, we have observed giant freshwater crayfish, over 5kg in size, living in the clear waterways of takayna; spotted healthy adult male Tasmanian devils living in the plains and forests; spotlighted masked owls as they hunt through coupes earmarked for logging; and wondered at the beauty of tiny slime-moulds, endangered tree orchids, giant ancient trees and everything in between.

“Our BioBlitz weekend is about scientists sharing knowledge and discoveries with citizens who have travelled from all over Australia. Crucial to our BioBlitz is the register of species on the Australian Living Atlas,  a record of the vast diversity of species that call takayna home. Our takayna BioBlitz is establishing baseline data of all the species of all forms of life. We look at plants like mosses and bryophytes, invertebrates, freshwater fish, frogs, reptiles, birds and mammals,” Scott Jordan said.

“BioBlitz is crucial to our campaign for our federal government to protect takayna in a World Heritage listed National Park.  We Blitz takayna’s biodiversity as part of building a national and international campaign to bring forward the day when takayna gets the respect, status and protection it warrants as a prime part of Australia’s, and the world’s, surviving cultural and natural heritage,” said Mr Jordan