BioBlitz Family Fun Festival takes place at Schenley Park
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - At Phipps Conservatory on Sunday, families and students met with scientists and teachers to learn more about the biodiversity of Schenley Park.
With over 400 acres of fields, trails, and trees, Schenley Park has some pretty cool nature to check out. But at Phipps Conservatory, it was a celebration of the park's incredible biodiversity.
On Sunday, dozens gathered at Phipps Conservatory in Schenley Park to teach and learn about one of Pittsburgh's greatest public spaces.
The BioBlitz Family Fun Festival is an annual event at Phipps that allows people of all ages to experience the nature of western Pennsylvania uniquely.
"A lot of times when we think of the word 'biodiversity,' we'll think of faraway places. We'll think of the tropical rainforest, or we'll think of the African Savana, which are all wonderful places as well, but right here in our own backyards of western Pennsylvania is a pretty awesome, cool, wild place as well and a day like this gets to celebrate that," says Maria Wheeler-Dubas, Science Education Outreach Manager at Phipps Conservatory.
This free event had everything from an aquatic booth to learn about fish and water plant life to a table where you could dissect owl castings.
There was even a booth for the Western Pennsylvania Mushroom Club. They were hosting a walk at noon, which is what brought Shawna Daisley and her son to the park today.
"Me and my son have been a part of the mushroom club for three years now, and we love to go to any that they're a part of. But definitely, I just wanted to get him influenced down at Phipps and be a part of the community and see all of the really cool science things that they have," Daisley said.
One of the other groups taking part today was Outdoor Afro, an organization dedicated to getting more African Americans into nature. Group leader Kim Refosco says that events like this are a great way to get her community out and explore this city gem.
"Shenley Park is just, like, the most beautiful part of our city, and Outdoor Afro has had the opportunity to come in and to explore with Phipps a lot as local partners. The role that Outdoor Afro is going to play is that we are going to take a nature stole and do some nature journaling on our walk," Refosco said.
If you missed the event, don't worry, there will be another one next year. And, of course, Phipps has some great programming all year to celebrate nature locally and internationally.