NAP is partnering with Michigan State University to host a BioBlitz on iNaturalist as part of the 2023 MSU Science Festival. During the month of April, any observations submitted in 10 select parks will automatically count as part of the BioBlitz. These parks are: Argo, Barton, Bird Hills, Black Pond Woods, Dolph, Furstenberg, Marshall, Mary Beth Doyle, Oakwoods, and Scarlett Mitchell. Feel free to check out the project page and more information here where you can see stats and observations throughout the blitz.
If this sounds like a foreign language, let’s define a few terms with information from several different online sources:
What is a BioBlitz? – A bioblitz is a communal citizen-science effort to record as many species within a designated location and time period as possible. In this case the month is April 2023 is the time frame and the designated location is one of the ten Ann Arbor parks. Scarlett Mitchell Nature Area is one of those ten.
What is I-Naturalist? – iNaturalist is a social network of naturalists, citizen scientists, and biologists built on the concept of mapping and sharing observations of biodiversity across the globe. iNaturalist may be accessed via its website or from its mobile application. Wikipedia
What are Observations? – An observation records an encounter with an individual organism at a particular time and location. This includes encounters with signs of organisms like tracks, nests, or things that just died. When you make an observation, you’ll record:
- Who you are,
- Where you saw/heard it,
- What you saw/heard,
- When you saw/heard it,
- Evidence of what you saw/heard (take multiple photos).
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