Join us October 19th - November 1st, 2024!
$150+ in Prizes!
5+ Guided Mini-events!
…and thousands of unique species to identify!
Welcome to the 2024 Sunshine Coast BioBlitz!
Come answer the Call of the Wild with the Loon Foundation by participating in this year’s BioBlitz taking place across the Lower Sunshine Coast!
Part contest, part scientific enterprise, and part educational event, a BioBlitz brings together scientists, naturalists, and community members of all ages to count as many species from as many different taxonomic groups as they can in a timed survey of a chosen site.
A BioBlitz highlights the species found in an area over a short period of time. It focuses on observing and documenting as many species as possible, creating a biological inventory for an area.
What is a BioBlitz?
How can I participate?
For our kickoff, there’s no need to sign up! Loon Foundation staff will be in front of the EarthFair store at 10 AM, October 19th to teach you how to use the iNaturalist app and sign up to our project, answer questions, and lead you through the nearby Iris Griffith Wetland, to try out the app in real time!
KICKOFF
10 AM, OCTOBER 19th
EARTHFAIR STORE
12902 Madeira Park Rd, Madeira Park, BC V0N 2H0
BioBlitz Mini-Events
Throughout the two-week course of the BioBlitz, Loon Foundation staff and keen volunteer experts will lead the way during multiple walk-and-talk mini-events in and around Madeira Park.
During these mini-events, you can snap some photos, record your observations, and get help identifying what you’re seeing straight away! Your guide will also be able to help you troubleshoot using iNaturalist.
You can check out the full list of events by clicking the calendar to the right or seeing the full schedule on the Google Calendar at the bottom of the page.
Be sure to register for ahead of time if you want to attend specific mini-events as participation is limited!
Registration for mini-events is now closed, thank you for participating in this year’s BioBlitz!
How are the prizes awarded?
Prize winners will be drawn based on participation, biodiversity and the number of species identified! There are separate prizes for individuals and for school groups.
Winners will be announced on our social media on November 5th, so be sure to follow the Loon Foundation on Instagram and Facebook for event updates and to see if you’ve won!
PRIZES
Solo Naturalist
$50 Gift card to EarthFair Store + Mini-journal
School Group of Naturalists
$100 Gift card to EarthFair Store + a Class set of Mini-journals
iNatHelp Links
What is iNaturalist?
iNaturalist is a free app available on iOS and Android created to engage communities in crowdsourcing data and observations in nature. It’s a fantastic way to become a Citizen Scientist and learn about the wildlife in you area!
When you take a photo of an observation, it will be stored on the app to be uploaded once you have an internet connection. Your observations will be identified by Loon Foundation staff and other scientists or naturalists across the world, contributing to a world-wide database!
See below for more details on how to participate as an individual or as a classroom!
For Public Participants
You can participate in the BioBlitz on your own time from anywhere on the lower Sunshine Coast by contributing pictures to the “19th Annual Loon Foundation Sunshine Coast Bioblitz” iNaturalist project.
All you need to participate are:
1.
an iNaturalist account
a smart phone or camera
Create an iNaturalist account or log in to an existing account.
You can join by following the sign-up process on the app or clicking the sign-up link on the top right of their website.
Afterwards, you can follow the link to the right to our BioBlitz project where you will be uploading your discoveries!
2.
Get exploring, observing, and identifying!
Take photos of the plants and animals you see in nature and upload them to your iNaturalist account. You can either:
Take photos through the iNaturalist app on your mobile device
Upload photos to iNaturalist through their desktop website
iNaturalist will automatically add any observations you make within the Sunshine Coast area into our BioBlitz project once you have joined.
For Educators
Schools can participate in the BioBlitz with their classrooms to find, observe, identify and record species found in a target area around your school.
Students will have the opportunity to use iNaturalist to collect data and are encouraged to “blitz” as many times as desired during the project period (October 19th - November 1st) so that they can record their findings using the iNaturalist App either individually or as a classroom.
Please check out the BioBlitz 2024 for Educators page here!
Our goals for BioBlitz events are:
To increase public awareness of the diversity of life around them as well as the ecosystem services these species provide.
1.
2.
To popularize science and inspire naturalists of all ages.
3.
To generate valuable scientific data on the Sunshine Coast.
4.
To build partnerships and increase knowledge within our community.
Our 2020 BioBlitz was a huge success, lasting an entire month, spanning the whole lower Sunshine Coast, and totaling an impressive 3,335 observations and 942 species!
Check out the findings from our previous digital projects through the links below:
Donations go towards our many scientific endeavours and community events, including the annual BioBlitz!
The 2024 BioBlitz has been funded in part by the Sunshine Coast Regional District Electoral Areas Grant-in-Aid and the BC Community Gaming Fund.
Thank you to our funders and sponsors for supporting science and discovery in our community!