BioBlitz 2025 at Eagle Marsh

The Indiana Academy of Science selects a different site each year to complete a BioBlitz. A BioBlitz is a survey of the plant and animal life in an area. The survey assesses biodiversity. This year the Academy chose Eagle Marsh. The last time there was a BioBlitz at Eagle Marsh was in 2014. So, on May 31, 2025, over 120 scientists and citizen scientists from across Indiana and beyond arrived at Eagle Marsh. 
 
Little River Wetland Projects hosted the event. Their staff and volunteers were ready. Preparation began the day before. On the day of the BioBlitz volunteers began arriving at 5 am. The scientists were served breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. Programs and t-shirts were passed out. There was excitement in the air. 
 
The BioBlitz was important because the marsh is dynamic, and it is critical to know which species of plant and animal life is thriving and which are struggling. That was made clear because since the last Bioblitz the continental divide berm was created. This was to protect the Great Lakes from invasive carp and in the process, it altered the hydrology of the preserve.  
 
The scientist arrived with diverse instruments and traps. They were divided into teams and they self-assigned to different areas of Eagle Marsh. The Taxon Teams included: Macroinvertebrates, Bees, Beetles, Fish and Freshwater mussels, Birds, Fungi, Herps, Mammals, Lepidoptera, Singing-Insects, Snail-killing Flies, Spiders and Vascular Plants. As the scientist spread out throughout the marsh data was collected, analyzed, identified, and recorded. At lunch the teams were exchanging information with other teams and expressing the joy of being around experts in so many different fields.  
 
Some of the scientist camped at the marsh. Some of the teams worked late into the night, some would be adding two additional days of collecting and recording their species. The Eagle Marsh barn was filled with laughter as the teams had supper. After supper there was an informal reporting of each team's findings. Many had to leave because they had long drives ahead of them. However, for those who could stay they sat around a fire and made S’MORES. Some of the members waited for nightfall so they could go out and collect nocturnal specimens.  
 
The data will be sent to the Academy of Science by the end of October. This gives the spider and various insect teams time to identify their species. A final report will then be shared with Eagle Marsh. They will then know which species thrived under the changing hydraulics and the changing climate. It was a historic day, and it was a fun day. ​

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