{"id":81165,"date":"2026-04-17T11:03:25","date_gmt":"2026-04-17T15:03:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.winterhavendaily.com\/?p=81165"},"modified":"2026-04-17T11:03:25","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T15:03:25","slug":"city-nature-challenge-polk-north-chain-of-lakes-wetland-bioblitz","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.winterhavendaily.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/17\/city-nature-challenge-polk-north-chain-of-lakes-wetland-bioblitz\/","title":{"rendered":"City Nature Challenge Polk: North Chain of Lakes Wetland BioBlitz"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Explore a local wetland and contribute to our understanding of the ecology of this newly acquired and well preserved Florida habitat!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

April 24, 2026 from 9 am. – 1 p.m.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is a BioBlitz?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A BioBlitz is a citizen science event where both amateur and expert individuals explore a local natural area and record any flora and fauna they find using iNaturalist. This can be incredibly valuable for understanding the ecology of an area and establishing a baseline of what wildlife, plants, and other natural elements occupy a space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The City of Winter Haven has recently acquired a property of wetlands and uplands that border Lake Pansy and flow out to the North Chain of Lakes. This large property is a unique ecological asset as it helps clean water flowing into the Chain of Lakes – and has been kept in a relatively undisturbed state. Prior to undergoing wetland improvement activity, the City is hosting this BioBlitz event to collect as much information about the natural state of this property. This event will offer you the first chance to explore this area – with City staff available as guides – before it is open to the public!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What if I’m not an expert\/new to Florida natural areas?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Newbies are very welcome! We are going to have City staff and other local experts guiding each group, and pathways will be cleared ahead of time. Be sure to bring proper clothing (clothed toe shoes (waterproof best), sunscreen, and hats). Bringing your own water bottles and snacks is also highly recommended. <\/strong>but there will be no need to go wetland wading any more than groups are comfortable with! If you have any concerns or further questions please reach out to us at the contact on this event!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the property currently does not have a standardized address we are using event coordinates. Our meeting location will be at the 1st billboard area heading South on US-17 from US-92 (Brooks Law). The property is located just past the Ford dealership and extends to Brigham Rd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more info and to register, visit https:\/\/ow.ly\/Qb3h50YJSLT<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Explore a local wetland and contribute to our understanding of the ecology of this newly acquired and well preserved Florida habitat! April 24, 2026 from 9 am. – 1 p.m. What is a BioBlitz? A BioBlitz is a citizen science event where both amateur and expert individuals explore a local natural area and record any […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":81164,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[15],"class_list":{"0":"post-81165","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fast-factual-free","8":"tag-winter-haven"},"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winterhavendaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/img_1853-1.jpg?fit=1080%2C1080&ssl=1","aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t