For this phenology post, instead of going to my usually phenology spot, I participated in the BioBlitz for the City Nature Challenge. I went to the Arms Forest, a natural area next to Rock Point.
To make observations, I used iNaturalist. This app allowed me to identify different species and post them to the community. It was very easy to use and helped a lot with identifying plants since it’s still early spring and not a lot of them have leaves yet. The only animals I saw were squirrels and it was too cold for bugs to be out, so I focused on plants, especially ones I don’t usually see at my phenology spot in Centennial Woods. The two most interesting plants I saw were skunk cabbage that was by a small pond (and could be smelt very easily from a distance) and a red trillium. I also saw some really cool roots by a small stream but wasn’t able to identify them.
Another really cool thing about the City Nature Challenge was getting to see the observations people made in other cities and the wide variety of animal and plant species. I specifically looked at observations from Cape Town, South Africa because I love marine life and I thought it was cool to go from seeing all forest in the Burlington area to ocean. It’s crazy to think that species I have never even heard of, like the Gasflame Nudibranch (a type of sea slug), is the most commonly observed species there.
Being able to connect virtually with other parts of the world is such a cool experience, especially when it gives me the chance to experience nature in a new way. I know I will be participating in next years City Nature Challenge, and I look forward to seeing what other cities have to offer.