REGINA — If you’re spending the long weekend at the lake, on the hiking trails or even just in your backyard, the Nature Conservancy of Canada has a mission for you: take some pictures.
From July 29 until Aug. 2, the national non-profit organization is hosting a virtual event called the Big Backyard BioBlitz, to encourage residents across the country to explore the habitats around them.
Originally conceptualized as a pandemic-friendly way to engage with the public, the BioBlitz offers a dual opportunity for people to enjoy their local environment while also contributing to the data that informs conservation efforts.
NCC regional events manager Kayla Burak describes the event as a chance to “be a biologist for a day,” as participants are asked to head out into their local greenspace and take photos of the plants, animals and insects they see, to submit to the NCC.
“It's really an opportunity for people to get out and explore what's in their backyard, their neighbourhood, a nearby park or event to venture a bit further to a provincial park, to learn about what is outside and around us,” said Burak.
The event is open to anyone in Canada, including residents of all ages in Saskatchewan, and aims to help connect the public to their local environments while also collecting widespread data through community participation.
“It’s citizen science, so anyone can be a part of this community science project,” said Burak.
Burak explained that photos submitted as part of the BioBlitz will be used by the NCC, environmental scientists, and other conservation organizations in many ways.
“If people submit observations about some sort of invasive species, like a weed, or an observation about a flower species or bird that’s rare or at risk, we can use that information,” said Burak.
The NCC uses the information reported to help manage and adjust conservation plans to be the most beneficial, while scientists are able to utilize the data in their research projects, like to help track population trends.
“There’s research projects going on across the country, and so it’s useful in a lot of ways,” said Burak.
The BioBlitz is actually returning for a second year, said Burak, after an impressive showing from participants during the inaugural event last year.
Over 20,000 observations were submitted nationwide, with more than 1,100 sent from Saskatchewan residents across the province.
“It was so great to see,” said Burak. “I definitely expect it to be popular again this year, because that crazy appetite for nature and to get outdoors, it's not going anywhere.”
The NCC saw plenty of people discovering — or rediscovering — the benefits of spending time outside over the past year or so, said Burak, and so the BioBlitz was created with the intent to help encourage that.
“We’ve seen and heard and experienced for ourselves how important nature is, for both our physical and mental health, so this is really an opportunity for people to get outdoors and explore,” said Burak.
Participants interested in taking part in the BioBlitz can register online through the Nature Conservancy of Canada's website.
