2012 ATBI Conference

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is considered by some to be one of the most biodiverse places in North America. It is here, in the midst of such species richness, that Discover Life in America (DLIA) is conducting an ongoing project to inventory all species that exist in the Park. The All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI) seeks to inventory every species of living organisms in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The project continues to develop checklists, reports, maps, databases, GIS tools, and natural history profiles that describe the biology of this rich landscape to a wide audience.

To date, the ATBI has found 7391 new species within the park, including 922 that are new to science.

Next month, Discover Life in America is proud to be putting on the 15th annual All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory Conference. The conference will be held over three days - March 22-24th - at the Glenstone Lodge in beautiful Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Although the main focus of the event is the presentation of scientific ATBI research, the conference will include field trips in the Smokies, nature hikes, photography, fund-raising auctions, and book signings. The conference is open to scientists, researchers, educators, the press, and interested members of the public.

Some of the field trips scheduled for this year include The Best Wildflower Hike in the Smokies with Janet Rock, GPS Basics, and Animal Tracking.

World renowned biologist Dr. E.O. Wilson will give the keynote address at Discover Life in America's ATBI Conference on March 23rd. Edward O. Wilson was recently called �one of the most important biological theorists since Darwin� by The New York Times. There will also be a chance to see and hear Dr. Wilson on March 24, 2012 at 6 p.m. at the Knoxville Museum of Art with a "Special Evening with E.O. Wilson," which is a fundraiser for Discover Life in America.

For more information, please click here.


Jeff
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DLIA Biodiversity Hike to Mt. LeConte

Discover Life in America will be hosting its annual Biodiversity Hike to the Mt. LeConte Lodge over the weekend of September 3rd and 4th. The hike will be guided by an expert naturalist, and will include a picnic lunch on the Alum Cave Trail, as well as dinner and breakfast at the LeConte Lodge.

DLIA executive director Todd Witcher will be giving a presentation on the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory project, and park service staff will hold a sunset program at Cliff Tops.

The mission of DLIA is the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI), a joint effort with the National Park Service, that aims to identify and record every single species within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. To date, the ATBI has discovered 910 species that are new to science, and 7101 species that are new to the Smokies. Click here for a summary of these discoveries.

The cost for the Biodiversity Hike is $275 per person, which includes meals, lodging, as well as support for DLIA . To reserve one of the limited spaces, call Todd Witcher at 865-430-4756, or email him at todd@dlia.org or click here.


Jeff
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