Everyone across Canada is invited to join in on a week-long event to identify and record their local flora and fauna.
The fifth annual Big Backyard BioBlitz, hosted by the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), is calling on people to document nature where they live as a way to help scientists monitor biodiversity across the country.
"Whether you're a nature newbie, a budding naturalist, or a seasoned observer, your contributions matter," said Megan Quinn, NCC's coordinator of conservation biology in Ontario. "Through this crowd-sourced effort, each observation helps researchers and conservationists better understand local biodiversity, detect invasive species, and track changes over time, especially in the face of climate change."
The event is for all ages and can happen anywhere, from a backyard to a city park to a nature reserve. This year, the BioBlitz has been extended to last a full week from July 28 - August 4.
All you have to do is register at backyardbioblitz.ca then take photos or make audio recordings and upload them to the website.
In the 2024 event, participants submitted more than 47,800 photos of various plant and animal species, 21,849 of which were located in Ontario.
Since the event began, over 193,000 observations have been submitted, documenting more than 8,600 species, including many that are rare, at-risk, or endangered.
Participants are also encouraged to share their sightings on social media, using the hashtag #NCCBioBlitz.