Join local biologists on a guided walk to help identify and record the plants and animals of an NYC DEP Bluebelt.
About this EventJoin NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) staff and local biologists for a Bioblitz event! A Bioblitz is a community event that brings together scientists, naturalists, and the public to document as many plant and animal species as possible in a given area.
Local experts will lead guided walks through the DEP Bluebelt - a restored wetland area -and help participants identify wildlife and plants. Choose from a guided plant, bird, or dragonfly walk.
Observations will be recorded in iNaturalist. Please download the iNaturalist app before the event and join the iNaturalist project "DEP Staten Island Bluebelt Bioblitz 2025".
Plan Ahead:
- Download iNaturalist on your phone. Under menu, hit Projects, search for "DEP Staten Island Bluebelt Bioblitz 2025" and join. Guidance on using iNaturalist will be provided at the event.
- Be "tick aware" and prepare for weather conditions. Water stations will be available on site.
- No equipment or experience is needed but binoculars are encouraged if you have them.
Location:
- Meet at 792 Olympia Blvd, Staten Island for check-in. We will then walk together to the Bluebelt site.
- Street parking is available in the surrounding neighborhood.
iNaturalist How to:
The entire BioBlitz will take place on the iNaturalist app. If you don’t already have the app, you can download it for free from the “App Store” on your phone.
- Note: There are two iNaturalist apps available for iphone users, "iNaturalist" and "iNaturalist Classic". Both apps will work, but the directions below are tailored for iNaturalist Classic and Android users.
Once you have the app, follow these steps to participate in the Bioblitz:
- Sign up: Open the app, tap the "sign up" button, and create an account. Accounts are free but require an email address, username and password.
- Join the project: Hit the "Menu" button and Tap on the “projects” tab - or hit the "projects" icon at the bottom of the screen. Search for "DEP Staten Island Bluebelt Bioblitz 2025". Hit “join” to become a part of the BioBlitz. Now you are ready for the Bioblitz event!
- Make an observation: During the event, open the app and click on “new observation” or the green “camera” icon at the bottom of the screen. Take a photo of a plant or animal around you. Make sure to use your phone's zoom and focus features to center in on what you are trying to capture. Try to capture only one plant or animal for easier identification.
- Edit and describe: After the photo is taken, you'll go to an “edit observation” page where you can: Identify the species you are seeing or let iNaturalist's AI suggest an ID. Add notes about where you found it. Pin a location.
- Submit your observation: Hit "save" or "submit" to upload your observation. It will now appear under your observations in iNaturalist. If you see an "up arrow" on your observation than it wasn't properly uploaded to the wider iNaturalist platform. Sync or hit the "up arrow" to make sure it gets logged in the Bioblitz. Observations will automatically be added to the Bioblitz once they are uploaded and you've joined the Bioblitz project. Now that your observation is listed on iNaturalist, other members can help confirm or refine the ID.
That’s it! Now you can explore all the collective findings, revisit your observations, and record new findings any time.
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