This past weekend, as part of my ongoing phenology project, I took part in the collective Burlington City Nature Challenge iNaturalist Bioblitz, and very much enjoyed doing so. To do my part, I chose to explore and record species that I found in the Centennial Woods Natural Area, which also happens to be the location of my phenology site. I chose this location for the Bioblitz due a number of factors, including its close proximity to campus and unique natural communities as a notable urban green space in the Greater Burlington area. In terms of the Challenge itself and using iNaturalist to record all of my findings over the weekend, I found that it worked very well. I was fortunate enough to be familiar with iNaturalist and therefore was very comfortable quickly noting and adding species observations as I happened upon them. Additionally, I very much enjoyed the community aspect of the Challenge, and being able to see the many different observations recorded by my peers, proving just how ecologically diverse Burlington truly is. During my time spent in Centennial Woods, I encountered and observed 20 different species of flora and fauna, which included but was not limited to paper birch, barberry, a red squirrel, and a broad-winged hawk. While some of the species that I found were to be expected, as they are very common in Vermont and across the Eastern U.S. like Northern Cardinals and White Pines, I also encountered some species that were new to me such as the pine siskin. Looking at a larger scale and in the many other cities also participating in the global Bioblitz, I was astonished to see such a massive turnout and such a vast number of species recorded all across the globe in just a few short days. Seeing the hundreds of thousands of observations recorded in places like La Paz, Bolivia and Tagum City, Philippines, helps show just how impactful and beneficial organizing events like this are for documenting levels of global biodiversity. Ultimately, I very much enjoyed partaking in the City Nature Challenge and doing my part to help people see how crucial and relevant biodiversity is in our world, and am looking forward to participating again next year! Additionally, I have attached an image of a species I found during the Bioblitz this past weekend (barberry to be specific) and a link to the location I was recording observations at below.

All the best,

Abel

Map Link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/Q5gCTGbZu5sLmFYU8