How to organize and conduct a BioBlitz
Here are some key steps needed for organizing a BioBlitz:
Identify the focus location for the BioBlitz. This will be where the participants will make wildlife observations.
Identify the BioBlitz period. BioBlitzes typically have a start date and end date.
Invite community members, partners, naturalists, and experts about the BioBlitz. Distributing flyers at community centers, libraries or posting on social media are great methods.
Before the BioBlitz, have participants download iNaturalist on their mobile devices. iNaturalist is currently one of the most popular repositories for community science data and is also used by scientists and researchers.
Provide a tutorial or webinar on using the iNaturalist app to record wildlife observations and upload them to the app.
Create an iNaturalist project for the BioBlitz.
For in-person BioBlitzes, gather all the participants at the BioBlitz location and provide guidance on recording data.
Have experts on hand to offer guidance on the iNaturalist app usage and help identify species.
Invite independent identifiers to verify the species after the observers have uploaded them to get the data to research-grade. Scientists can use research-grade data in their studies.
In-person meetups in the field can happen several times during the BioBlitz period to maximize data collection.
At the end of the BioBlitz, summarize the data and communicate the results to all the participants.
Thank the community for a great team effort.
