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Last updated on Sunday, March 11, 2018
(UNDATED) - To celebrate its 25th Anniversary, the Indiana Native Plant & Wildflower Society (INPAWS) is trying something new!
Florathon 2018 will see teams from all over the state venture out into our wild areas, state parks, and nature preserves to see how may Indiana native plant species they can spot in bloom during a 24-hour period between April 14 and May 13.
Teams of two to six people will enroll sponsors to support their citizen-science effort with a donation to Letha's Youth Outdoors Fund. Prizes will be announced for most species spotted, most counties visited, best team name, most money raised, etc.
Who: Indiana Native Plant & Wildflower Society (INPAWS)
What: Florathon 2018, a team competition to record native plant species in bloom
When: April 14 through May 13, 2018
Where: Natural areas throughout Indiana
Why: To raise money for Letha's Youth Outdoors Fund, which helps connect kids to nature
Details: http://www.inpaws.org/gatherings/florathon-2018/
Mindful of the urgent need to steward Indiana's rich natural heritage, INPAWS is seeking to groom future ambassadors for Indiana native plants and for the biodiversity that native plants sustain. Letha's Youth Outdoors Fund pays for children to visit natural areas around Indiana with knowledgeable guides. It also funds youth-led initiatives to deepen kids' engagement with nature. School and youth groups apply for this funding, with preference given to children that have the least access to experiences in nature.
Records of which species bloom where and when are useful for tracking the health of our native plants and their response to climate patterns. INPAWS will share Florathon's citizen-scientist data with biologists and ecologists who can plug them into their studies.
Florathon 2018 is not just for INPAWS members. Anyone can form a team, enlist sponsors, and visit their favorite wild area to record native species in bloom. Detailed participant information can be found on the INPAWS website at http://www.inpaws.org/gatherings/florathon-2018/.
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