While most Bush Blitzes last 10 days, planning for a Bush Blitz can take months or even years. Before the team touches ground, careful consideration is given to selecting a location and assembling a team of expert taxonomists, land managers and local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to make sure the fieldwork is a success and documents as many species new to science as possible. But it doesn’t stop there, as the scientists bring the specimens back to their natural history collections to study, describe and finally name these species so they can be formally recognised by science.
Before a Bush Blitz
Identifying potential locations
The Bush Blitz program focuses on places where biodiversity is not well documented and where we expect to find the largest number of undescribed or unnamed species. The land tenure must have a conservation focus, for example, national park, state-managed conservation land, Indigenous Protected Area, Aboriginal Land Trust or private conservation agreement. Potential locations are identified using scientific data, expert advice and existing knowledge gaps, then assessed for their engagement opportunities, logistics, timing and cost. The identified locations are reviewed by an expert reference group before being approved by the Bush Blitz Steering Committee.
Consultation
Consultation begins up to a year before a Bush Blitz, as staff liaise with the land managers and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups associated with a location. If they are interested in a Bush Blitz on their land, we find out what areas are priorities for them and what level of involvement they would like – from encouraging local rangers and Traditional Owners to join scientists on Country to supporting two-way knowledge exchange and co-publication of species.
Bringing the team together
Bush Blitz staff then work closely with the representative state museum and herbarium and other stakeholders to coordinate the Bush Blitz. The scientific institutions are contracted to provide scientists who have taxonomic expertise and field collection experience. Following consultation with land managers and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups about access, cultural considerations (including Indigenous Cultural Intellectual Property) and habitat condition, teams decide on the sites they would like to survey based on their species of interest.
We also work with our partner Earthwatch to select teachers and BHP employees through an open competitive application process. These individuals work alongside the scientists as field assistants.
Preparing for the field
Before going into the field, the Bush Blitz staff get site access permissions approved while the scientists obtain specimen collecting permits. Next, accommodation, transport, safety gear, catering and field equipment are all organised by Bush Blitz staff. We then undertake a pre-Bush Blitz reconnaissance trip to ground truth the logistics and site access for the Bush Blitz and to personally meet the land managers and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups we have been liaising with to ensure everything is in place for the team to work safely and effectively.
During a Bush Blitz
Fieldwork
Once the Bush Blitz is underway, for about 10 days, teams stay at a basecamp located near the survey sites. Before anyone heads into the field, there are a number of safety and cultural briefings. Each day, scientists travel to and from these sites on foot, in a 4WD or, occasionally, by helicopter.
Survey methods vary depending on the collection technique for the target species being studied. Scientists may work during the day or night, using specialised equipment to collect specimens and record observations. In most cases, specimens will be collected in the field, labelled, vouchered and transported by the scientists to the museum or herbarium for further analysis and curation.
Working together
Bush Blitz brings together people with different knowledge, skills and experiences to enrich the knowledge gathered on local biodiversity. Scientists from different disciplines, who would not normally work together (such as botanists and entomologists), share valuable information and even specimens. Adding land managers, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups, teachers and BHP employees to the team creates valuable opportunities for learning and knowledge sharing.
Connecting with communities
A Bush Blitz usually includes a community event or school visit facilitated by our partner Earthwatch. These provide valuable opportunities for local communities to learn about their local biodiversity, meet scientists, hear about career pathways and get up close to species new to science being uncovered in their region.
After a Bush Blitz
From the field to the collection facilities
After the Bush Blitz, specimens are carefully transferred to the museum and herbarium collections. When they arrive, specimens are entered into the collection (accessioned) by recording collection details and assigning a unique identification number. The specimens are then accessioned. This is the process of preserving, storing and cataloguing a specimen in the collection database. Funding is provided for institutions to complete the work involved in accessioning Bush Blitz specimens. These collections provide a permanent record of Australia’s biodiversity and support research for generations to come.
Identifying and describing species
Identifying specimens takes time. While some can be recognised quickly, others may require months or years of study. Scientists compare the new specimens with those already held in collections and use identification tools, including genetic sequencing, to identify them. Some specimens may turn out to be species that have never before been recorded in the area. Others may be entirely new to science.
When a species is believed to be new to science, taxonomists undertake detailed research before formally describing and naming it in the scientific literature. The scientific species name becomes official once it is published in a scientific journal. We support this work by funding taxonomists to describe species using material collected on a Bush Blitz.
Sharing the results
The information collected during a Bush Blitz helps land managers better understand and manage the places they care for. Non-sensitive findings are published in publicly available reports, and detailed record information is passed on to land managers. We work closely with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups to ensure that culturally sensitive data are not made publicly available, along with species that are at risk of poaching. The specimen records added to museum and herbarium databases are made available through the Atlas of Living Australia, allowing researchers, decision-makers and the public to access the information.
Lasting impact
The impact of a Bush Blitz continues long after the fieldwork ends. Not only are species described, named and included in updated identification keys, but new specimens help build natural history collections and fill knowledge gaps. Valuable information is generated on each Bush Blitz, including species lists of native, threatened and pest species as well as species new to science. This information is invaluable to researchers, land managers and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups managing and protecting species on Country.
Just as importantly, Bush Blitz builds lasting relationships. This includes the Bush Blitz Continuing Connections project that strengthens partnerships between researchers and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups. The project supports these groups to collaborate with scientists to conduct two-way scientific research, which may include co-publishing species new to all sciences, upskilling in species identification and monitoring methods, developing local identification tools or co-presenting findings at conferences. Teachers who have participated on a Bush Blitz can also apply for funding to develop local projects that help share the knowledge and experience gained during the Bush Blitz with their students and professional networks to promote biodiversity more widely.
Miliwanga “Millie” Wurrben (Senior Jawoyn Elder) visiting the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory in Darwin where Bec and Sue show her specimens collected from the Jawoyn Country Bush Blitz now curated in the insect collection (Kirsti Abbott © MAGNT)
