Backyard Bioblitz Community Science Program
Many amazing species live in our own backyards and communities. Join our Backyard Bioblitz Program to learn more about your non-human neighbours AND help with scientific research! Child, teenager, adult or senior, this program is for everyone!
The first place that many of us experience nature is in our own backyards or parks in our neighbourhood. These experiences of meeting and observing different life forms is something that we can cherish and cultivate long past childhood! The goal of our Backyard Bioblitz Community Science Program is to do just that - to help you learn more about all of the wonderful species that live near you! Who are your non-human neighbours?!
This program is designed for eco-heroes of all ages! Each week, or time you would like to go out and explore, you will be searching for a different family of species! On your search you will document the species you see on the free iNaturalist app and become a true community scientist! All of the information that you gather will be used by The Land Between team to inform our conservation efforts!
Step 1: Sign up!
Step 2: Watch our safety training video & read the safety protocol
Safety is of the utmost important at all times. Please make sure that you download, watch and carefully read the Safety Protocol. Whenever your are participating in programming please ensure that you are dressed appropriately for the weather conditions and to protect yourself from insects (like ticks) and noxious plants (like poison ivy).
Outdoor Hazards Safety Training Video
Step 3: Sign up for iNaturalist!
iNaturalist is a world renowned platform for community science! With more than one million professional and community scientists who use the site, iNaturalist is home to an immense amount of data on species from around the globe. By signing up for a free account, you will be able to join this international team and submit your Backyard Bioblitz observations for the world to see!
To sign up for iNaturalist head over to inaturalist.org, open a free account and then download the app on your phone. Next, either click on the button below to find our project page or type "The Land Between Backyard Bioblitz Program" on iNaturalist and click "About". Once you are on the iNaturalist project page click the 'Join' button on the top right corner of the banner. Voila! You are now signed up and any observations you make within the region will be added to the project page!
For detailed instructions on how to sign up to and submit observations on iNaturalist please watch this intro video!
Congratulations! You are now part of our Backyard Bioblitz Program!
Step 4: Spin the wheel!
Many wondrous organisms live in your backyards and communities, spin the wheel to choose which ones to look for! Each time you participate in the Backyard Bioblitz Program, spin the wheel then go exploring! However, if you are very eager to explore for a certain type of wildlife feel free to do so!
Once a category has been selected, proceed to click on the corresponding button below to learn about this months featured species and to access some fun activities!
