Earth Day Backyard Bioblitz 2021: A Great Family Activity

The Bioblitz is great fun and a learning experience for kids. Sign up and then participate on Earth Day, April 22.

April 5, 2021 — Birds are returning, flowers are blooming, insects are buzzing. And no doubt you’re spending more time outdoors.

That means it’s time for Connecticut Audubon’s second Earth Day Backyard Bioblitz.

A BioBlitz is a fancy name for an organized effort to find as many different kinds of living things as possible.

It takes place in one day — Earth Day, April 22, 2021. You can participate for any amount of time.

This event is a great family activity and fun for all ages. Classrooms are also encouraged to participate. Teachers, this is a great outdoor science activity for your students in your schoolyard. 

Whether you’re in a city, suburb, town, or rural area there are dozens of birds, insects, flowers, trees, and other things to see.

What you will need

1. An iNaturalist account. Sign up at www.inaturalist.org or download the app from the App Store or Google Play. Once you register below you will be sent the link to our BioBlitz project. You can also search for it on the App using “CT Audubon Earth Day Backyard BioBlitz” and look for the project with our logo.
2. A smartphone. You’re going to need it to take and upload your photos for your observations! If you don’t have a smartphone you can use a camera and upload your photos online – click here to learn more about that.
3. Safety gear. You’re not only going to need protection from sunburns and ticks, but also any necessary protective gear you want to prevent coronavirus. Get out there but please be safe and maintain appropriate social distance.
4. An adventurous spirit! Let’s go exploring.

You don’t need to be able to identify what you find. Just post your observation with a clear photo and good description, and either one of our staff experts will identify it for you or one of the many experts available through iNaturalist will.

If you need more help here is a step-by-step guide from iNaturalist on how to get started.

What will you find? Birds are migrating and flowers are starting to bloom. We’re seeing a few warblers return, and magnolias are in bloom. But we want to know what you’re seeing.

It could be a House Sparrow you saw from your window, an American Robin, the wild violets in your grass, or the earthworms you see after an April shower — whatever creature or plant it is, we want to know through the BioBlitz.

While this is a free event, we hope you will consider making a gift to support our conservation work.