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National event encourages citizens to contribute to conservation and biodiversity knowledge
The fourth annual Canadian Big Backyard Bioblitz runs from August 1-5 and encourages citizens to get out into nature while contributing to scientists’ collective species knowledge.
The national event, hosted by the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), asks residents to take photos of as many plant and wildlife species in their immediate area as they can within the event period.
Citizens can participate solo or with a group, and as often as they want.The Big Backyard BioBlitz is described as a family-friendly activity, no matter a person’s level of knowledge about nature. Organizers say every observation can help conservation groups and scientists understand the state of local biodiversity, track at-risk species and even tackle invasive ones.
During last year’s event, officials say nearly 10,000 participants logged close to 60,000 observations across the country, with the most frequent being monarch butterflies, which are classified as endangered globally.