Locals and visitors are invited to channel their inner scientist by participating in Okanagan Similkameen Stewardship’s North Vernon Park BioBlitz event.
A bioblitz is a citizen-science effort to record as many species within a designated location and time period as possible.
This blitz, which kicks off Tuesday, July 26, from 8 to 10 a.m., relies on citizen scientists to collect information on flora and fauna at the park.
During the event, participants will be joined by Okanagan Similkameen Stewardship (OSS) biologists, naturalists and field technicians and invited to learn how to identify the plants and wildlife who call the park home. If you’ve ever been to the park and wanted to know more about the plants and wildlife now is your chance to ask a local biologist!
The event will stay open in iNaturalist and people are encouraged to continue to add their own observations in the following weeks.
“We are hoping citizen scientists and volunteers can help us establish a baseline at the park which can help us to set goals for restoration and stewardship of the area,” said Alyson Skinner, OSS executive director, adding that active community interest in the pond will help support its stewardship in the future. “We have begun planting and conducting invasive plant management in the park as well as some snake hibernacula enhancement and will be continuing this work into the fall.”
Interested participants are asked to use the iNaturalist app and make their observations under the North Vernon Park Bioblitz project. The app can be downloaded for free from the Apple App Store or Google Play and participants will be given instruction at the bioblitz event on Tuesday.
Those wanting to attend are asked to contact OSS at 250-770-1467 or info@osstewardship.ca.
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