Calling all citizen scientists and nature lovers! Thanks to the National Recreation and Park Association and The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation, FNSB Parks and Recreation is hosting a Parks for Pollinators BioBlitz program all throughout the month of September! Join us in a fun challenge to see how many pollinator species can be found and documented in Fairbanks.
We need lots of community participants! #Parks4Pollinators
What is BioBlitz? The Parks for Pollinators BioBlitz is a program where the community works with park staff to create a snapshot of the variety of wildlife and plants that can be found in Fairbanks. Essentially, it’s an event where YOU take/upload photos of wildlife and plants to learn about pollinators in our area. The program focuses on finding and identifying as many species as possible in Fairbanks over the month of September to create a snapshot of an area’s biodiversity.
How do I participate? To participate in this program, you’ll use an app called iNaturalist to take pictures of plants, insects and animals you find in our park and recreation areas. It’s an easy-to-use app where you take picture of what you find, upload them to the iNaturalist FNSB Parks and Recreation Parks for Pollinators BioBlitz project. If you are unaware of what something is, the community and park staff will help identify the species.
Where should I go? You can participate by exploring nature and wildlife anywhere in Fairbanks! Your backyard, Chena Lake Recreation Area, Tanana Lake Recreation Area, Pioneer Park, your community park - any observation you make will count during our program! Just make sure you mark the location when you are uploading your photos to the iNaturalist app.
What pictures? Whatever is interesting to you, and of whatever you think you can get a pretty good close-up photograph! Diversity is important, so look for things you haven’t yet photographed. But also don’t leave out the go-to’s like fireweed, bees and butterflies or the “sometimes boring” stuff like bark, leaves and flies - we need it all! We are trying to get a representative sample of the entire place, not just the best parts.
Why this program? The Parks for Pollinators BioBlitz is a national effort for people to find and document pollinator friendly plants and pollinators across the country in partnership with their local park and recreation agency. Pollinators are a vital component of our ecosystem, and an essential link to the world’s food supply. According to the White House’s Pollinators Health Task Force, during the last 30 years, the United States has seen a steady decline of pollinators (such as bees, bats and butterflies) at an alarming rate of 30 percent annually — making it vital to take action on pollinator protection. Parks for Pollinators BioBlitz helps identify pollinators in our area and ways to protect them.