By Robert Frederick, KWMU
St. Louis, MO – The normal curfew at Forest Park will be bent tonight (Friday)
That's because hundreds of scientists and volunteers will be scouring the thousand acre park as a part of a 24-hour "BioBlitz" to inventory the species that live there.
Starting at 3 p.m., groups of scientists and volunteers will start heading out to survey the park's plants, bugs, and animals.
Mike Arduser, a natural history biologist with the Missouri Department of Conservation, says the purpose of collecting that data will help in park management.
"Forest Park isn't a pristine wilderness," he said, in an interview. "This is really a disturbed urban habitat. But the city wants to bring back as much as natural Missouri to Forest Park."
This is the second BioBlitz at the park, and this one will benefit by comparing the data collected at the first BioBlitz in 2004.
Forest Park police will still be patrolling the area, and those who have not registered as volunteers will be asked to leave.
More information: BioBlitz website.