We are official BioBlitzers! This past weekend we became citizen scientists and joined local naturalists, conservationists and specialists for the South Okanagan Bioblitz Canada 150.
Using the inaturalist.ca phone app we contributed to Canada’s national species inventory by taking pictures of plants, animals and insects and sharing them online. Our team of explorers identified over eighty different species during our leisurely walk through the White Lake Grasslands Protected Area and the White Lake Basin Biodiversity Ranch (Nature Trust BC) .
The Bioblitz was a really neat opportunity to walk alongside experts. My brain is practically bursting with all that we learned! The great thing about using the inaturalist.ca app is that I can go back to it whenever I need to remember species we identified (so handy!). If you want to follow me on inaturalist.ca, here is my profile.
During our BioBlitz-ing my son was very curious about everything, he asked lots of questions, and the experts were happy to answer all of them. Eventually the entomologist was his go to person and they spent the greater part of the day searching for butterflies and other insects. He discovered a fly that looked like a bee, a grasshopper with striped legs and plenty of other interesting insects. I think I may have a budding entomologist!
There are 35 BioBlitzes taking place across Canada in 2017. To learn more about BioBlitz Canada 150 and to find an event near you, visit BioBlitzCanada.ca.
Follow Josée for more outdoor family adventures:
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On Facebook: facebook.com/okanaganbackwoodsmama
This post originally appeared on Josée’s blog, backwoodsmama.com.
Josée Bergeron
I grew up in the northern interior of British Columbia where I spent my childhood years exploring the vast wilderness of Western Canada with my family. Adventuring, exploring and connecting with the natural world has become an important part of who I am and it is something that I want to pass on to my three young children. These days my little family and I live in the sunny South Okanagan of British Columbia. We are a curious bunch and enjoy exploring new places both near and far.
