iNaturalist Pro-Observer for Fort Vancouver NHS Bioblitz

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What is a Bioblitz?

First coined by an NPS employee in the late 90s, Bioblitzes are an intense period of biological surveying in an attempt to record as many of the living species within a designated area. Groups of scientists, naturalists, and volunteers conduct an intensive field study over a continuous time period (in this case - one day).

The Bioblitz will take place throughout the National Historic Site on May 21st. NPS staff and partners with expertise in pollinators, birds, bats, and plants will pair up with teams of community volunteers to inventory particular types of species that will be logged into an online database (iNaturalist). Fort Vancouver’s Bioblitz will be part of the NPS’ Centennial effort (dozens of bioblitzes happening across the country on International Biodiversity Day - May 21st) as well as the Intertwine’s Regional Ecoblitz Series (theintertwine.org/blitz).

Teams will begin inventorying in the morning of May 21st and continue on a 2-3 hour rotation during the day. In addition, NPS and partners will display exhibits and host lectures that focus on the themes of the significance of native prairie plants to the indigenous cultures of the region, the history of naturalists at the Fort, human impacts to the site, the value of gardens and orchards to the landscape and the significance of the white oak savanna.

iNaturalist Pro­-Observers are designated volunteers who are trained in using the iNaturalist app. iNaturalist, housed at the California Academy of Sciences, is a user-friendly mobile application that allows anyone to record, photograph, and share natural history observations on-line. It is a great tool to engage park visitors, park staff, and amateur and professional naturalists in directly contributing to our knowledge of park biodiversity.

As a Pro­-Observer, you will be scheduled to accompany a scientist on each inventory to ensure observations are recorded accurately. This specialized volunteer role is a perfect opportunity for people that are skilled in using digital devices. As a Pro-Observer, you'll help decrease the potential of undocumented observations due to unfamiliarity or discomfort with the use of iNaturalist. Training material will be provided to interested volunteers.