(Photo: courtesy of Nature Conservancy of Canada)

Love taking photos of nature?

This is the perfect weekend for it with the 3rd annual National Backyard Bio Blitz running until Monday, August 1st.

“Lots of different plants and flowers, to birds like cardinals, belted Kingfishers, Nuthatches, Goldfinches. People also provided photos of maple trees and cranberries, beetles and cat tails. It is whatever people see and want to take a photo of,” said Nature Conservancy of Canada Spokesperson Andrew Holland. “Ultimately when you send it in, you’re sharing that information with botanists, biologists foresters and scientists who do this for a living and they can look at your photos and confirm what the entry is.”

You can register at any time to join the Big Backyard BioBlitz

Once registered, participants will receive a step-by-step guide on how to participate, photography tips, and information about species identification.

“Everyone is invited to participate. It’s a great way for people of all ages to look at nature more closely and learn about biodiversity close to home,” added Jennifer White, community engagement coordinator with NCC in the Atlantic Provinces. “Spending time outdoors is also beneficial for our physical and mental well-being. The Big Backyard Bioblitz event is a great incentive to connect with nature and fellow nature lovers while contributing to our collective knowledge of plants, animals and other species in Canada.”

Holland added, “We started it two years ago during the pandemic. It just seemed that in March, April, and May of two years ago, we were spending a lot of time in and around our houses. We figured people needed something to look forward to, some positivity, something to boost their spirits, and getting out into nature is one way to do that. So we set up this event to try and connect people with the outdoors. Get people some fresh air, and then make them feel positive about something. It was well received because it gave people something to do in 2020 during the pandemic. If you live in a condo building or an apartment, you may not have a backyard to participate in, so that’s where you can go to the local green space or local park. There’s a trail that you like, anywhere you can do this.”

More than 6,500 participants logged over 36,000 observations across Canada in last year’s event.

One keen observer in Nova Scotia logged more than 800 species observations over the Big Backyard BioBlitz weekend.