Back to Manassas, the S2S Base of Operations!

Soldiers2Scientists hosted a BioBlitz event at Manassas National Battlefield Park with over 15 new Blue Star Families in Virginia this past weekend. We had our partners from Fairfax County Virginia Master Naturalists, Oak Spring Garden Foundation, and SciStarter join our team and help guide families in the field as they learned how to use the Seek and iNaturalist apps in the field. Bioblitzes continue to be an excellent format for introducing veterans to citizen science!

A Picnic Area in Manassas Battlefield Park in Virginia where Veterans and their families gathered for our Bioblitz! - Photos taken by S2S Director

The weather was beautiful! The observations were plentiful. We accumulated another 147 observations and identified 75 different species in several areas of the park. We now have over 13,000 observations 2197 species documented within the project parameters of the park! Manassas NBP continues to surprise S2S with its biodiversity while being an important historical reminder of the sacrifices soldiers make for their country.

A small prelude Demonstration with veterans, family participants, park officials, and scientists! - Photos taken by S2S Director

It is always a pleasure introducing these tools and activities to new communities. Children and adults alike find a way to engage, and it is very rewarding to see them walk away having enjoyed themselves and having learned and a new skill they can take with them anywhere they adventure next! Stay Tuned for more Summer Updates as S2S provides more intel about their Great Basin EcoRecon Expedition and other fun activities including recent Grants!

Some of the S2S EcoRecon Team gathered for a Group Photo! - Photos taken by S2S Director