In this video (50:00), learn how citizen science data and iNaturalist empower environmental research. The 2026 Sea Grant Great Lakes BioBlitz Kick-off Webinar features University of Minnesota Forestry Extension Educator Angela Gupta.
The Sea Grant’s Great Lakes BioBlitz is an opportunity for people in the Great Lakes region – Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and Ontario, Canada – to collectively observe, compare, and share the variety of life, or biodiversity, that they find in their communities.
A BioBlitz is an intensive, time-limited survey of all living organisms within a designated area. Scientists, students, and community members collaborate to identify and document species using citizen science tools, most often, iNaturalist. These events provide a snapshot of biodiversity at a given time and place, helping researchers detect seasonal changes, track species distributions, and understand ecological interactions.
The Great Lakes BioBlitz is a collaboration of the Great Lakes Sea Grant Network and the Sea Grant Center for Great Lakes Literacy.
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