The Riverwood Conservancy's Fall BioBlitz 2021

UPDATE: Our Fall BioBlitz 2021 has now concluded. Thank you to everyone who participated. You helped us better understand Riverwood's biodiversity, and your observations will make it possible to measure the impact of climate change on urban environments. Throughout the BioBlitz, 40 participants documented 1,626 observations/images of over 500 species. Thank you again to everyone who contributed!

The winner of our most species observations competition is Monica (monica_p on iNaturalist). Monica recorded 248 observations, and 194 species, 156 of which are Research Grade! Congratulations to our winner, who receives two suet blocks, a double suet feeder, a copy of Deer World by Dave Taylor, and the Wildflowers of Riverwood field guide.

The two winners of our random giveaway prizes are Sameeha (sameeha123 on iNaturalist), who wins a copy of Wildflowers of Riverwood, and Vi (vcbull on iNaturalist), who wins an Armstrong bird feeder and bag of bird food.

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Thanks to the support of Climate Impact, The Riverwood Conservancy is hosting a Fall BioBlitz for the entire month of October 2021. With help from citizen scientists like yourself, we hope to grow our knowledge of Riverwood’s plants and animals, and the impact that climate change has on their populations. To top it off, we’re giving away prizes to the account that makes the most species observations, and one randomly selected participant!

We request that all who take part in this BioBlitz to follow the Leave No Trace principles. Please ensure that you:

1. Plan ahead and prepare
2. Stay on designated paths
3. Dispose of waste properly
4. Leave what you find
5. Respect wildlife
6. Be considerate of others

What is a BioBlitz?

A BioBlitz is a temporary event which focus is to determine a specific area’s range of biodiversity. Biodiversity is the variety of life on Earth; it is a great way to understand the health of our ecosystems. Citizens like yourself go out into nature and observe and record plant and animal species, and then report them using technology or simpler means like pen and paper. All of the information reported by citizens is then compiled to develop a broader understanding of what species resides in that particular area during any time of year.

How do I take part in the BioBlitz?

We are using the iNaturalist app to submit, record, and keep track of the ongoing BioBlitz. Watch leaderboards and keep up to date with images that have been submitted and species that have been seen. You must join our project to take part in the BioBlitz.

Joining from your phone

• Download iNaturalist application (available for free from Google Play or the App Store)
• Create an account
• Click “More” > “Projects”
• Search “TRC Fall BioBlitz 2021” or find our BioBlitz page here
• Join the project

Joining from your computer

• Visit the iNaturalist website
• Create an account
• Click “Community” > “Projects”
• Search “TRC Fall BioBlitz 2021” or find our BioBlitz page here
• Join the project

How do I make observations and add images?

For help uploading images and getting started head to the iNaturalist getting started page, register for our Fall BioBlitz kickoff webinar, or watch our how-to video below.

What do I make observations of?

Anything and everything you see in nature at Riverwood! For this BioBlitz we are looking for three things in each observation:

1. An image. This can be a species of plant or animal you came across while visiting Riverwood, or it can be a track left behind by a species, like a nest, footprint, scat, fur, or leaf.
2. A location. This will be automatically inputted for you attached to your images. For this BioBlitz, all submissions must be made at Riverwood.
3. A date and time. This is typically automatically attached to your images. For this BioBlitz, all submissions must be made between October 1 – October 31, 2021.

What and how can I win?

The iNaturalist account with the most species observations will win our grand prize – a double suet bird feeder, two packs of suet, a copy of Dave Taylor's Deer World, and a copy of our Wildflowers of Riverwood field guide.

One other account will be randomly selected to receive a copy of our Wildflowers of Riverwood field guide. 

Leaderboards can be found under “OBSERVERS” in iNaturalist.

Good luck and happy nature spotting!