Tristan Kubik walks up to Keith Helart Park in Louisville with a handful of long, white butterfly nets. His shirt pictures a girl holding a beetle, and he’s donning black sunglasses that take on the appearance of scientist goggles.
“Let's go find some insects, shall we?” he says to a group of adults and kids, with a smile. “These are your friends and neighbors, so who doesn't want to go out and meet some really weird cousins that do some really weird and interesting things?”
The group scatters into the woods and grass, waving their nets and bending down to take pictures of things like frogs, flowers and beetles. One boy, Henry Gao, brings up a Rove Beetle to Kubik in a snap cap vial.
“Excellent find, Henry!” he says. “I have not seen that group yet here in Louisville, so I'm gonna just write that in my little notebook here.”
Kubik is an entomologist, or an insect scientist, who is collecting species data as part of a BioBlitz Survey put on by city leaders. It’s where public volunteers go out in the field to document all the diverse species they can find, like insects and flowers, and scientists educate them in the process.
“Bioblitzes have been sort of evolving into more public engagement and science communication events, which is fantastic,” Kubik said. “Scientists have been doing a poor job, in my opinion, of connecting back to the public our discoveries. And discoveries are fun and they belong to everyone.”
The scientists and local volunteers will cover more than 800 acres of natural land as they survey. So far, they’ve already identified hundreds of species – some of which they weren’t expecting, like rare milkweed or a patch of garlic.
This work is also part of a larger biodiversity survey being conducted by the Colorado Natural Heritage Program, which Kubik works for. The program received $7.8 million from Great Outdoors Colorado to level up statewide data on species through the Spring of 2029.
This summer, they’re working on getting data from 21 counties – including Boulder County, which Louisville is a part of. Those species will be added to CODEX, the state’s official biodiversity database.
“It's really exciting to get in here and see what we've got,” David Anderson, the director of the program, said.
Anderson said these data can be helpful when cities make decisions about managing open spaces and wildlife areas. It also helps scientists track rare species, gather evidence and monitor their protection before it’s too late.
“It's our job to take care of these (species) and make sure that our kids still have these as well,” he said.
Jennifer Ackerfield, a botanist with the heritage program, also helped with the BioBlitz at the Davidson Mesa Trail. She found several types of plants along the walk, like Smooth Brome, Field Penny-Cress and Poa Bulbosa.
“It's like a treasure hunt, because you never know what is going to be around that next corner,” she said. “People get into collecting all kinds of weird things. For me, it's collecting all the different species of plants. I just love meeting them all for the first time.”
Ackerfield was giddy during the entire walk, pointing out the flower families and the connections some plants have to insects. She said nature is even better when there’s a variety of plants to learn about.
“If you're looking out onto a landscape and it's all the same thing, like your lawn, do you enjoy that? That's boring!” she said. “We want that diversity. We want to have these native habitats, these native grasses, all these wonderful plants. That's what makes it special.”
Several studies have shown how biodiversity is connected to human health, wellness and survival – from pollinators that support food systems, to forests that provide cleaner air through photosynthesis. Additionally, humans are far outnumbered. For every human, some estimate there are 1.4 billion insects.
Kubik hopes people will be more appreciative and mindful of the insects in the community, and the role nature plays in human life.
“We believe that we are the landlords and the progenitors and the ones calling the shots on this little blue marble that we call home. And that's just not the case,” he said. “There are millions of lives in this park alone unfolding before us, and they are no less dramatic, intriguing and interesting than our own lives.”
