What is a Bioblitz?

A Bioblitz is a citizen science biological inventory where a group of people work to locate and identify as many species (plants, animals, fungi, etc.) as possible in a specific area over a short period of time. It differs from traditional scientific inquiry, which is usually limited to trained professionals, in that it brings together volunteer scientists, families, and other members of the general public. Community members get the opportunity to work alongside scientists to learn about the biological diversity of local natural spaces while gaining skills and knowledge to develop a stronger connection to these spaces. Species identifications will be recorded using the iNaturalist App or via a paper recording form. The iNaturalist app can be downloaded on a smartphone for free and will help compile the cumulative data in real time. Learn more about the app at A Community for Naturalists · iNaturalist.

About the event

This Bioblitz will take place on Saturday, April 25th from 10:00-3:00 at the North Olympic Wildlife Area—Discovery Bay Unit, located 14 miles southeast of Port Townsend at the head of Discovery Bay. This area has been the site of extensive restoration work to restore habitat for endangered Hood Canal Summer Chum, coho, and steelhead. This restoration work includes riparian, stream, wetland, and nearshore areas that provide habitat for a wide range of plants and animals. Long term monitoring of the entire ecosystem gives us and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (the landowner) important information about the recovery of these ecosystems and the far-reaching impacts of restoration work.

What to expect

Participants can expect to walk a mile or two throughout the course of the day’s activities, but topography at the site is flat with only occasional small obstacles such as downed trees to maneuver around. Please bring warm clothes, raingear (just in case!), footwear for wet/muddy conditions, and a sack lunch. Weather in late April can be hit or miss, we could have beautiful blue skies or precipitation, so be prepared for either!