In 1991, after a nearly 20-year lease with the University of Illinois, the Urbana Park District purchased Busey Woods. This 59-acre remnant of the Big Grove is located in north Urbana adjacent to Crystal Lake Park. In June of 2005, the Urbana Park District hosted the first BioBlitz and it was a success with over 1,200 species counted. Designed as a combination contest, festival, education event, and scientific endeavor, the 2005 Busey Woods BioBlitz brought together 800 people, including scientists, volunteers, naturalists and people of all ages.
To celebrate Anita Purves Nature Center's 40th Anniversary, we are organizing a 2019 Busey Woods BioBlitz event from noon September 27 to noon September 28. The goal is to add species to the Busey Woods list and compare species documented with those found in the summer of 2005.
The 2019 BioBlitz will bring together scientists in a race against time to see how many species they can count in a 24-hour biological survey of Busey Woods. Come observe the scientists' activities, interact with them and participate in other activities presented by the scientists. For the full BioBlitz schedule, check out the Busey Woods BioBlitz webpage.