BioBlitz Canada 150 Results

Boreal ShieldEcozone

  1. BioBlitz Canada 150: St. John's
Memorial University of Newfoundland Botanical Garden, St. John’s, NL
October 22, 2017
  • Community BioBlitz
  • 39 participants
  • On iNaturalist:
  • 102 species recorded
  • 187 observations
  • 11 observers
/
  1. Thunder Bay Community BioBlitz
Mills Block Forest Management Area
Thunder Bay, Ontario
May 2627, 2017
  • Community BioBlitz
  • 164 participants
  • On iNaturalist:
  • 112 species recorded
  • 112 observations
  • 1 observer

  1. Killbear BioBlitz
Killbear Provincial Park
Ontario
June 1011, 2017
  • Community BioBlitz
  • 190 participants
  • On iNaturalist:
  • 157 species recorded
  • 230 observations
  • 8 observers
/
  1. BioBlitz de la Station de biologie des Laurentides BioBlitz
Saint‐Hippolyte, Quebec
May 2628, 2017
June 13, 2017
  • Science-Intense BioBlitz
  • 153 participants, including 63 experts
  • On iNaturalist:
  • 410 species recorded
  • 1,402 observations
  • 29 observers

  1. Big Trout Bay Science BioBlitz
Big Trout Bay Nature Reserve, Lake Superior Ontario
July 1521, 2017
  • Science-Intense BioBlitz
  • 54 participants, including 31 experts
  • On iNaturalist:
  • 866 species recorded
  • 2,322 observations

Summary

  • 600 participants
  • iNaturalist:
  • 1,422 unique species
  • 4,253 observations
  • Most observed species = White-throated Sparrow
  • 32 observations ofspecies at risk encompassing 12 different species:
  • Massasauga
  • Pygmy Whitefish
  • Rainbow Smelt
  • Deepwater Sculpin
  • Little Brown Bat
  • Wood Thrush
  • Three-spined Stickleback
  • Cutlip Minnow
  • Eastern Wood-Pewee
  • Olive-sided Flycatcher
  • Chimney Swift
  • Canada Warbler
  • Most observed SAR = Canada Warbler

Highlights

BioBlitz de la Station de biologie des Laurentides BioBlitz

We identified 410 species (1,402observations). As of now, this is close to 20% of all observations on iNaturalistfor the province of Québec.

Out of the 410 species we identified, 10 are threatened: Flat-branched Tree-clubmoss, Wood Thrush, Pickerel Frog, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Eastern Hemlock, Ringneck Snake, Canada Warbler, Hooded Merganser, Black Ash, and Luminous Moss

BioBlitz Canada 150: St. John's

The first BioBlitz Canada 150 event since April to have snow!

Kim Shipp, Director, Memorial University of Newfoundland Botanical Garden, St.John’s, NL: “The Garden intends to incorporate a BioBlitz event during one of our Twilight Tuesday evenings next summer.”

Big Trout Bay Science BioBlitz

A Pygmy Whitefish (Prosopiumcoulteri) and a Deepwater Sculpin (Myoxocephalusthompsonii) were found. Both of these species have similar but unusual and disjunct distributions, as they occur much more commonly in Western Canada and up into Alaska. Both have small populations in Lake Superior and some small, deep inland lakes in Northwestern Ontario.

Over 50% of the recorded Ontario leech diversity was found within this area during the survey period.

Arctic-alpine disjunct plants were found on headlands and cliffs, including Laestadii's Saxifrage (Saxifragapaniculata subsp. Laestadii), Common Butterwort (Pinguicula vulgaris subsp. Vulgaris), Northern Knotted Pearlwort (Saginanodosa ssp. Borealis) and Alpine Bistort (Bistortavivipera).

A Crimson-Ringed Whiteface Dragonfly, a species that is imperilled in Alberta and vulnerable in Manitoba, was found on the property.

testimonials:

“The aspect I loved the most about BioBlitz was the chance to be outside in combinations  young kids and old guys, newbies and experts, all working and learning together. And that regardless of age or knowledge level, everyone was needed, everyone contributed, everyone learned something.”

Rachael Zacharias Bezanson, Volunteer and Participant

Thunder Bay Community BioBlitz, ON

“I liked seeing the live rattlesnake. I thought that the fish presentation was excellent. We saw a salamander and a mink frog. Really well organized, well thought out and excellent experts! I thought the seine net for catching the minnows was cool.”

Regan, age 9, Parry Sound

Killbear Provincial Park Community BioBlitz, ON

“I saw a duck by the shore. It said, “Ouack, ouack” not “quack, quack” like in books. Then another one came and it said “Ouack, ouack” too.”

Ben Mason, age 6, Parry Sound

Killbear Provincial Park Community BioBlitz, ON

“I loved the fish, especially catching them with a seine net. We found a black-nosed shiner and a black-tailed shiner.”

Percy Shurr, age 7, Parry Sound

Killbear Provincial Park Community BioBlitz, ON

“Strength in collaboration by working together with different expert organizations. We achieved much more than we could have by working alone.”

Colin Jones, Provincial Arthropod Biologist, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Peterborough, ON

Big Trout Bay Science-intense BioBlitz, ON

“My seven-year-old was completely engaged. We loved all of it!!”

Sarah Shurr, Parry Sound, mom of 3

Killbear Provincial Park Community BioBlitz, ON

“One of the best parts of the BioBlitz was the visitation of the sandhill crane pair, calling and bugling to each other (Is that a car alarm? No! Sandhill cranes!) as they came in for a landing right over our heads and into the bog in front of us.”

Rachael Zacharias Bezanson, Volunteer and Participant

Thunder Bay Community BioBlitz, ON

“This BioBlitz was a significant step forward for the nature organizations in this region to work together.”

Gene Kent, Lakehead Region Conservation Authority

Thunder Bay Community BioBlitz, ON

LINKS

BioBlitz Canada 150 project on iNaturalist

Virtual BioBlitz Canada 150 project on iNaturalist

Website

Thursday, January 25, 2018