BioBlitz in the Claremont Hills Wilderness Park – Saturday, April 30!

Posted on by friendsofthewildernesspark

Please join the Friends of the Claremont Hills Wilderness Park on Saturday, April 30, for a Wilderness Park BioBlitz in conjunction with the City Nature Challenge

The Friends booth for the California Biodiversity Day BioBlitz in 2019.

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.  It’s a great opportunity to meet other naturalists, scientists, and curious members of the public to meet in person in the great outdoors and learn about the plants and animals that live in the Wilderness Park.

How will the BioBlitz work?

Observers will look for plants and animals in the Park, take a photo (or multiple) phots of an organism, and upload the photos to iNaturalist.

What is iNaturalist?

iNaturalist is an online social network of people sharing biodiversity information to help each other learn about nature. iNaturalist is a collaboration between National Geographic and the California Academy of Sciences.  Anyone can participate in iNaturalist!

Before arriving on Saturday please:

  1. Go to iNaturalist.org and create a free account. You should see “SIGN UP” featured prominently on the homepage.   Otherwise, there’s a “Sign Up” link in the top right corner.
  2. On your smart phone, go to the Apple Store or the Google Play store and download the iNaturalist app.
Vicki Salazar makes an observation with her smartphone.

Once you’ve signed up, you can enter observations from either your phone or computer.

Can I get help in learning to use iNaturalist?:

Yes, indeed!  If you’re new to iNaturalist and would like instruction or training on how to use the app, two great opportunities coming up just in time for the BioBlitz:

  • Virtual iNaturalist Training
    Tuesday, April 26, 7:00–8:00 pm
    Zoom (register to get the link)
    Free!
    Free online iNaturalist training with experts from the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Aquarium of the Pacific, and the National Wildlife Federation. Learn how to participate in the City Nature Challenge and other community science projects by turning your photos of plants, animals, and other wildlife into data points for science!
    Register in advance for Zoom link at https://bit.ly/INat-april26. (Event will also live stream on Youtube with captions)
  • Introduction to iNaturalist
    Saturday, April 30, 10:00am–12:00 pm
    California Botanic Garden
    Adult $16 | CalBG member $11 | Student $9
    The class will be led by botanist and photographer Keir Morse, who will break down the features of iNaturalist and teach you the best ways to log your finds and photograph plants so that they can be accurately identified. Keir will also introduce you to some of the more advanced features of the website. You can attend the class, then head over to the Wilderness Park while all of Keir’s tips are fresh in your mind.

Are guides or tutorials available for people who cannot attend an iNaturalist training event?

How do I add my observations to the BioBlitz record?

You don’t need to do anything to add your observations to the BioBlitz record.  All observations made in the Park on the BioBlitz day will be automatically collected and added to the City Nature Challenge and Biota of the Wilderness Park projects.

How does one sign up for the BioBlitz?

You can sign up here or you can register at the Park. You can also make observations without signing up, but if you sign up, you’ll get a report of the results.

One thought on “BioBlitz in the Claremont Hills Wilderness Park – Saturday, April 30!”

  1. Pingback: The results of the City Nature Challenge CHWP BioBlitz are in! – Friends of the Claremont Hills Wilderness Park

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