FAQs and answers for the upcoming Great Southern Bioblitz
Here are some FAQs and answers for the upcoming Great Southern Bioblitz.
(text supplied by @nicklambert)
Last year we recorded 192, 295 observations of 22, 411 species across 256 other regions from around the southern hemisphere and it will be even tougher this year with more zones participating than ever before.
Please feel free to ask any other questions in the comments, there are no silly questions, ask away!
What is the GSB?
The Great Southern Bioblitz (GSB) is a worldwide citizen science event where scientists and the community work together to survey and record as many species as possible within a nominated timeframe – in this case, 96 hours in your local time zone.
When is it held?
28th to 31st October 2022, from 12:00am Day 1 until 11:59pm Day 4.
Who can be involved?
Everyone is invited to participate! No special knowledge or skills are required, engagement, fun and learning are the key principles. This is great for families and kids or for those who like the solitude of going solo.
How do I get involved?
All you need is the free iNaturalist app to make an account or you can use the website. https://www.inaturalist.org/
How does the event work?
Once you have an iNaturalist account, the rest is easy. Just use the app on your phone to take photos of living things during the days of the event. Once you have a photo or multiple photos of an organism, you can upload it to iNaturalist. Your sightings will be identified and added to the Coffs/Bellingen total automatically!
Can I use a camera?
Yes! If you have a camera or other device you can upload your photos later via the iNaturalist website.
What living things can I photograph?
Anything living is acceptable eg plants, animals, insects, fish, fungi, shellfish, crustaceans, birds etc.
What about seashells?
Yes! Any evidence of living things is also acceptable eg dead shells, animal tracks, feathers, scats, bones etc
Where can I take photos?
Photos taken anywhere within the boundaries of the Coffs Harbour and Bellingen local government areas will count towards our regional total. A map showing this area will be posted in the coming week.
Where should I start looking?
You can look almost anywhere, but some great places to start are your own backyard, beachcombing the seashore, rockpools, local parks, forest trails, rainforest walks, spotlighting at night, moths around your porch lights at night, freshwater creeks and estuaries and many more!
How many photos should I take?
This is entirely up to you! You might like to take only a few photos on your weekend walk, or you may set aside a day to go and explore a local area. Some participants will search different environments each day over the course of the four days and others will form a group to explore rockpools or forests together. There is no right or wrong way to participate!
What is a Bioblitz?
A bioblitz is an event that focuses on finding and identifying as many species as possible in a specific area over a short period of time. It is also known as a biological inventory or biological census. The primary goal of a BioBlitz is to get an overall count of the plants, animals, fungi, and other organisms that live in a place.
We are hoping to attract more participants for our area this year to compete with some of the larger more populated zones that dominate the competition, every photo counts!!
For more information please ask in the comments below. You can also look at the past posts on this page to gain a better understanding of past events.
You never know what you will find!!
