Lincoln Park Zoo BioBlitz - City Nature Challenge 2022

2121 North Stockton Drive,Chicago IL 60614

29 April, 2022

Description

BioBlitz together in this worldwide nature sightings challenge! Participate virtually and in person. Lincoln Park Zoo BioBlitz and City Nature Challenge 2022: Chicago Metro! From April 29th through May 9th, 2022, thousands of people worldwide will be sharing their photos of urban flora and fauna. Join participants from over 350 cities around the world contributing to the City Nature Challenge by using the free app iNaturalist to share observations of wild plants and animals in the Chicago Metro area. Your observations become data that helps scientists better understand and protect nature for all of us. The purpose of a bioblitz is to get an overall count of the plants, animals, fungi, and other living things that make their home in a certain area. Bio is a Greek word for life, and blitz is German for lightning. How many species do you think you can identify over the course of a week? Participants - individuals, families, a group of friends - will receive training via Zoom with Lincoln Park Zoo staff from the Urban Wildlife Institute, Horticulture and Learning teams to investigate plants and animals in your own neighborhood. You can contribute observations from anywhere in the Chicago Metro area. BioBlitz schedule:There are three events happening for this City Nature Challenge with LPZoo. The registration automatically signs you up for all three. Feel free to come to all three or just one event. Friday, April 29, 6-7 pm: BioBlitz 101 - kickoff and introduction (on Zoom). Staff from Lincoln Park Zoo will inform participants what to look for and how to use iNaturalist.Saturday, April 30, 11 am - 2 pm: BioBlitz @ Lincoln Park Zoo's Nature Boardwalk (in person). Come together with LPZoo's Urban Wildlife Institute, Cook County Farm Bureau, DuPage Forest Preserve, and Lake Forest College for this hands-on time of discovery. Monday, May 9, 6-7 pm: BioBlitz Celebration and Wrap-up (on Zoom).BioBlitz trainings will occur on Zoom, and we will use the free app iNaturalist to collect data. There is no cost to participate. Any optional donations will go towards supporting Lincoln Park Zoo. Frequently asked questions: What do I need to participate? A device with an internet connection, Zoom software with the latest update, a device with the iNaturalist app, and a sense of adventure! I have never used iNaturalist before. Will you teach me? Yes! BioBlitz 101 on April 29 will include a walkthrough of how to use iNaturalist to collect citizen science data. Does this event take place at the zoo? In part. Zoo staff will be streaming live per the schedule above open to anyone from around the world. On Saturday, April 30, locals meet up at the Nature Boardwalk, and then the following week, plan to participate from your own home and collect data in a nature space near you. What if I can't attend both Zoom sessions? You are still welcome to register and participate! Our iNaturalist project will show observations collected by all participants, so you will still be able to view our BioBlitz results even if you miss a Zoom session. Locals can definitely participate at Nature Boardwalk on April 30 even if Zoom sessions cannot be attended.