Welcome to participate in the species survey event at Skanssi Biodiversity Park together with researchers!
The Biodiversity Unit of the University of Turku is organizing a BioBlitz event on August 31, 2024, where the species of the Skanssi Biodiversity Park area will be surveyed. BioBlitz is a citizen science event open to everyone.
The event will be held at Skanssi Shopping Center and Skanssi Biodiversity Park.
Skanssi Biodiversity Park Project
The BioBlitz event is part of the Skanssi Biodiversity Park Project, which actively develops and tests methods to promote biodiversity in urban environments. The Biodiversity Park is an innovative approach to addressing biodiversity loss, preserving rare species, and enhancing biodiversity in urban green spaces. The project has received funding from the European Urban Initiative – Innovative Actions (EUI-IA) program.
Project partners: City of Turku, University of Turku, Turku University of Applied Sciences, Natural Resources Institute Finland (LUKE), Villi Vyöhyke Association, Varsinais-Suomen Asumisoikeus Oy, Blokgarden Oy, and Valonia.
Program
Biodiversity Park Info Point | Skanssi Shopping Center 2nd Floor
Info open from 9:30 AM to 9:00 PM
- Researchers identifying species with microscopes from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM
- Bouncy castle open from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM
LUMAs children Science Workshops
Price: 10 € per workshop, 45 min.
Workshops are for ages 6 and up, please register in advance using the button below (if not visible, contact Aliisa at alalwa@utu.fi).
- 11:00 AM - DNA Extraction
- 12:00 PM - Building an Insect Hotel
- 1:00 PM - DNA Extraction
- 2:00 PM - Building an Insect Hotel
- 4:00 PM - DNA Extraction
- 6:00 PM - Building an Insect Hotel
Public lectures in Finnish
- 10:00 AM - Welcome from the City of Turku | Elina Rantanen
- 10:15 AM - Welcome from the University of Turku | Ilari Sääksjärvi, Jutta Mäkinen, and Juulia Räikkönen
- 12:00 PM - Lecture: Biodiversity of Turku | Timo Vuorisalo
- 1:00 PM - Lecture: Insects and Ticks | Kari Kaunisto and Jani Sormunen
- 3:00 PM - Lecture: Interesting Plants and Mosses in the Skanssi Area | Kimmo Syrjänen
- 5:00 PM - CANCELLED Lecture: Wetlands Enhance Biodiversity | Jarkko Leka
- 7:00 PM - General Knowledge Quiz, participate and win small prizes
- 8:00 PM - Preliminary Results
- 9:00 PM - Lecture: Night Moths | Anssi Teräs and Max Koistinen
- 10:00 PM - CANCELLED Lecture: Nocturnal Animals, Bats | Miika Kotila (tentative, depending on the week's fieldwork)
Shopping Center Paddling Pools
Info open from 9:30 AM to 9:00 PM
- Lounais-Suomen LUMA Center's non-stop science workshop for families and the young at heart from 10:30 AM to 6:00 PM
- Tick Bus present from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM
- Grab-and-go self-guided activities
- Departure for guided tours with researchers (estimated duration of each tour is listed in parentheses, starting from the paddling pools)
Tours (departure times from the paddling pools)
- 6:00 AM - Get to Know Birds | Kari Kaunisto (2 hours)
- 10:35 AM - Diverse Turku | Kari Kaunisto, Timo Vuorisalo, Ilari Sääksjärvi (1 hour 15 minutes)
- 1:35 PM - Delving into Insects and Ticks | Kari Kaunisto and Jani Sormunen (1 hour 15 minutes)
- 3:35 PM - Plants and Mosses | Kimmo Syrjänen (1 hour 15 minutes)
- 5:35 PM - Get to Know Wetlands | Jarkko Leka (1 hour 15 minutes)
- 10:35 PM - Bats (1 hour 15 minutes) | Miika Kotila (tentative, depending on the week's fieldwork)
Note! The tour "Get to Know Night Moths" starting at midnight will begin directly at the BioBlitz entrance (Anssi Teräs and Max Koistinen)
BioBlitz Entrance
Info open from 9:30 AM to 8:00 PM
- Borrowable: binoculars, nets, magnifying glasses
- Departure for guided tours with researchers (estimated duration of each tour is listed in parentheses, starting from the BioBlitz entrance)
Tours
- 6:00 AM - Get to Know Birds, led by Kari Kaunisto (2 hours)
- 10:45 AM - Diverse Turku, led by Kari Kaunisto, Timo Vuorisalo, and Ilari Sääksjärvi (1 hour)
- 1:45 PM - Delving into Insects and Ticks, led by Kari Kaunisto and Jani Sormunen (1 hour)
- 3:45 PM - Plants and Mosses, led by Kimmo Syrjänen (1 hour)
- 5:45 PM - Get to Know Wetlands, led by Jarkko Leka (1 hour)
- 10:45 PM - Bats (1 hour) | Miika Kotila (tentative, depending on the week's fieldwork)
- 12:00 AM - Get to Know Night Moths, led by Anssi Teräs and Max Koistinen
BioBlitz Park Point (main info point)
Info open from 9:30 AM to 8:00 PM
- Toilets
- First Aid
- iNaturalist Info and App Usage Guidance from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM
- Volunteer Break Room (other inside in the Shopping Center)
Register for the BioBlitz
At the event, we will use the iNaturalist app (or website) for species surveys, which is free for everyone to use.
Anyone interested can participate in the event and learn about species surveying, biodiversity, and science in a way that suits them. No separate registration is required. Registration for the science workshops can be found above on this page. We want to gauge participants' interests and provide information about once a week before the event and once after the event. So, sign up to receive information and help us better understand our participants.
If you would like to be an official surveyor at the event, please send a message to Aliisa Wahlsten at alalwa@utu.fi.
Register for the BioBlitz
Follow the event on social media
Follow us on social media @UTUbiodiversity and share your photos with the hashtags
#bioblitzskanssi #utubiodiversity #biodiversitypark #forlovetheofspecies #biodiversiteettipuisto #rakkaudestalajirikkauteen
Tapahtuman kartta
Avaan kartan sivupalkista tapahtuman pisteet. Tapahtumassa on ohjelmaa sekä Skanssin biodiversiteettipuistossa että Skansin kauppakeskuksessa 2. kerroksessa.
Yhteydenotot
Tapahtuman koordinaattori: Aliisa Wahlsten
Valokuvat: Hanna Oksanen
The project has received funding from the European Urban Initiative – Innovative Actions (EUI-IA) program.
Project partners: City of Turku, University of Turku, Turku University of Applied Sciences, Natural Resources Institute Finland (LUKE), Villi Vyöhyke Association, Varsinais-Suomen Asumisoikeus Oy, Blokgarden Oy, and Valonia.
