There’s an app for bat(s)

From bees to bats, the news is rarely good about the beings that ensure we have a variety of fruits and vegetables in our gardens and grocery stores. In support of the Parks for Pollinators campaign, the City of Newport Parks and Recreation Department will be hosting a pollinator-specific BioBlitz throughout September.

During a BioBlitz, community members help to collect data about the plants and animals in and around their cities and counties.

There will be a family-friendly event at the Frank Wade Park Clubhouse on Saturday. Sept. 10, from 1 to 4 pm, with information about the project and a chance to ask questions about the plants and animals you might find in the Newport area. At 3 pm, the group will convene at Big Creek Park for a hike on the Ocean to Bay Trail to identify pollinators and make observations.

To participate in the BioBlitz, first download the iNaturalist app, where you will see what wildlife and plants are present in the area. Participants can go to the “Parks4PollinatorsNewport2022” project on the app to join the local group. 

The event runs throughout the month to provide plenty of time to get out and make observations and add them to the local project. The data will be used to better protect pollinators and other important wildlife in Lincoln County. 

This is not just about the bees — many different animals can be pollinators. Newport area plants are helped by: ants, beetles, butterflies, moths, flies, bats, bees, hummingbirds and even slugs. For plants, any plant that has flowers or fruits is a pollinator plant. Local exceptions include conifers and evergreen trees that, as all allergy sufferers know, spread their pollen on the wind.

For more information, go to newportoregon.gov or the City of Newport Parks and Recreation Facebook page.