The Great Southern BioBlitz is coming to Norfolk Island! Save the date: 24 to 27 November!
The Great Southern BioBlitz (GSB) began in 2020 during the global pandemic. The brainchild of a group of bioblitz enthusiasts in Australia, the first GSB saw 12 countries and more than150 Local Government Areas (LGAs) participate, with more than 91,000 observations recorded throughout the Southern Hemisphere using the iNaturalist app and website.
What is a Bioblitz?
A BioBlitz is a snapshot study of a specific location (in our case, this will be Norfolk and Phillip Island and the waters surrounding the islands), where scientists and the community work together to survey and record as many species as possible of flora, fauna, fungi and aquatic life within a nominated time frame.
For the GSB, this takes place over a four-day weekend in late spring, from 24 to 27 November.
Why have a GSB?
The goal of the GSB is to encourage engagement in citizen science by adults and children across the Southern Hemisphere; and to get people involved with and engaging in their local environments to discover the biodiversity that is there, even if it is just at the bottom of the garden!
Through this online platform, iNaturalist, we hope to increase biodiversity awareness and encourage citizens to contribute to the understanding of their local biodiversity.
Will my observation count?
You betcha! Every observation you upload becomes a valuable data point representing an encounter with a species at a point in space and time. After your observations are identified, the data are piped into databases like the Atlas of Living Australia and the Global Biodiversity Facility where they can be used by scientists, schools and more for research.
Who can take part?
Everyone! All you need is access to a smartphone or a camera. Volunteers will be on hand to assist with how to take the best photos and how to upload them.
In the coming weeks, we will be bringing you more information about how you can get involved in the Bioblitz, what species to expect (almost everything is fair game that isn’t a domestic animal or a human!), how to install and use the iNaturalist app on your phone or computer, and – if you prefer – how you can join in or record your species independently.
If you would like to know more about the GSB, or if you’d like to offer to help (we always love a good volunteer! And we promise it won’t be an onerous gig!), or if you would like to kick in a small prize for the most sightings, please contact us. We want to hear from you!
Susan Prior 51890 | susan at write-now.com.au
Sara Freeland 55089 | sara.freeland1 at dcceew.gov.au
The Norfolk Island Great Southern Bioblitz is proudly supported by Parks Australia and the Norfolk Island Regional Council.
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