May 20, 2024
Hello everyone! Today marks the final day of this year’s Sea Grant Great Lakes BioBlitz. We absolutely loved seeing everyone’s contributions from across the Basin, and we’re so glad you participated! In all, we totaled over 5,200 observations and 1,000+ species. Absolutely incredible--great work!!
We also want to make sure to recognize those who have helped us along the way. First, thank you to the Center for Great Lakes Literacy for their ongoing support–the BioBlitz wouldn’t have been possible without you. Also, a huge shout-out to the Wisconsin Sea Grant for hosting the event for another year. And, to all of YOU, for participating and capturing the beauty of the natural world. We are eager to see what you (and your friends!) discover during next year’s BioBlitz!
Finally, what you’ve all been waiting for: the featured photos from last week! As with every week, there were so many incredible photos that we simply lack the capacity to truly recognize. However, this does not, in any way, mean that we didn't enjoy looking at every contribution! Sifting through all of the photos is one of the best parts of the week :).
Our first featured photo comes from hroni, in Ogontz, Ohio. This submission features oyster mushrooms, which are not only a wonderful treat for humans, but also provide crucial services for their surrounding environment. Oyster mushrooms are able to compost organic matter, petroleum (from oil spills), coffee grounds, and even mercury. Not only that, but they can be cultivated in your own yard or bought at local markets. Who would've thought that such tiny little things could have such an incredible impact?!
The last featured photo from colejwolf in Ridgeland, Wisconsin, depicts common buckthorn, a ravenous invasive species (particularly in the northern Great Lakes region). It’s found just about anywhere, especially wooded areas–you might see some crawling alongside a trail as you walk through a local park. When the soil is moist, these plants can grow up to a meter tall and can be pulled by hand. Larger plants with more elaborate root systems can be dug out or pulled using specific weed wrenches. Be on the lookout for this species next time you’re out and about.
And, of course, head over to the Wisconsin Sea Grant’s Facebook or Instagram page (@uwiscseagrant) to check out these incredible photos!
Interested in other opportunities to connect with and learn more about the natural world? The Center for Great Lakes Literacy (https://www.cgll.org/) offers lessons, learning opportunities, and is a great place to stay updated on events in your area! Also, be sure to explore your local Sea Grant's website to see what's offered close to home.
Posted on May 20, 2024 08:54 PM by gnashold|0 comments|Leave a comment
May 13, 2024
Week 4 Challenges
This week, to encourage you all to spend a little bit more time outdoors, we have an extra challenge for you (in addition to the weekly aquatic and terrestrial challenges). As some of you know, non-native species can be quite damaging to ecosystems, recreation, waterways, and our life in general. Species like zebra and quagga mussels, purple loosestrife, mud snails, and many others have traveled long distances to the Great Lakes region, and are now outcompeting native species. Spotting them, and safely removing them if you know how, is a key step that everyone can take to help out. Here is a link (https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/features/panels/HiawathaNFAISGreatLakesRegion.pdf) for a quick guide with pictures of aquatic invasive species and a quick memo on how to stop the spread. For a more comprehensive list of aquatic and terrestrial invasive species, this link (https://19january2021snapshot.epa.gov/greatlakes/invasive-species-great-lakes_.html) will direct you to the EPA. We encourage you all to be on the lookout for non-native species and upload your observations so we can better give back to our planet!
Aquatic Challenge:
Let’s get moving! Post a photo of a species in “running” water (stream, river, gutter, storm drain, runoff).
Terrestrial Challenge:
Thank you for your service! Post a photo of a species that provides us with a necessary service, such as pollination, seed dispersal, food, or even carbon sequestration!
Bonus Challenge:
Help monitor the spread! Post a photo of a non-native species in the Great Lakes region. If you know how to (safely and thoroughly) remove it, we encourage you to do so!
Posted on May 13, 2024 07:11 PM by gnashold|0 comments|Leave a comment
Featured Photo(s) From Last Week
As we near the end of the BioBlitz, we wanted to take a moment of gratitude for all the planet offers us, and we hope you do the same this week! We've surpassed 4,000 observations in the past three weeks, and this wouldn't have been achieved without all of your contributions. For that, we're thankful for you, too!
Our first featured photo from last week is a picture of a tadpole (an amphibian), from katesadventures. This photo was taken in central Michigan. Great work!
The second featured photo is still waiting on further identification, but I'm pretty sure it's fan clubmoss. Taken by draleah west of Steven's Point, Wisconsin, I really loved the way it exemplified "nature's weave and wave" challenge from last week. Excellent job!
As always, head over to the Wisconsin Sea Grant's social media page to check out these photos and give them some love. We look forward to seeing what you find this upcoming week!
Posted on May 13, 2024 07:07 PM by gnashold|0 comments|Leave a comment
May 6, 2024
Week 3 Challenges
Alright everyone, only two weeks left. You’ll notice that the challenges might be getting a little harder now. We hope it’ll encourage you to spend more time outdoors and explore the natural world!
Aquatic Challenge:
Don’t get phibbed! Post a picture of an amphibian or an animal with gills. Reminder: amphibians are any species of vertebrates that can live both on land and in water, who typically have aquatic larval stages followed by terrestrial lung-breathing adult stages.
Terrestrial Challenge:
Nature’s Weave & Wave: Post a picture of a species with natural patterns (spirals, rings, branches, fractals, etc.)
Posted on May 6, 2024 07:06 PM by gnashold|0 comments|Leave a comment
Featured Photo(s) From Last Week
Hello friends! We’re knees deep into the BioBlitz, and we hope you’re having fun. We continue to appreciate all your submissions–another 1,000+ observations were uploaded just this past week! However, this made it especially difficult to find a singular featured photo, so we decided two photos would suffice. The first image is of a hooded skunk in Ohio, taken by martyndrabik. For the aquatic challenge, a photo featuring two hooded mergansers by diana768 claims the prize. Congratulations, you two! Again, head over to the Wisconsin Sea Grant’s social media pages to show those photos some love. We look forward to seeing what you all encounter in the upcoming week!
Posted on May 6, 2024 07:05 PM by gnashold|0 comments|Leave a comment
April 30, 2024
Week 2 Challenges
Now it’s time for another round of fresh challenges to keep you all active and exploring! Good luck!
Aquatic Challenge:
Don’t just stand there! Post a photo of any species in “standing” water (puddle, pond, marsh, lake, bog).
Terrestrial Challenge:
Concrete Jungle: take a photo of an animal in an urban area! This information can be extremely useful for scientists, who utilize data from iNaturalist to understand what species are located in cities and how they’re behaving in these areas (if they’re found during the day, at night, how close they are to humans, if they have babies, etc.).
Posted on April 30, 2024 03:51 PM by gnashold|0 comments|Leave a comment
Featured Photo
Welcome back! If you’re new here, we’re happy to have you! And if you’re returning for week two, that’s wonderful, too. Watching the page fill up with observations this past week (over 2,000 already?!) was truly heartwarming and reminded me that a BioBlitz is such a wonderful way to connect people with nature & each other. This week, we’re going to start off with a featured photo–one that really stood out to us and we wanted to highlight for everyone. Given the overflowing number of posts, it was so, so hard to pick just one, and this does not at all mean we didn’t enjoy every contribution! The photo we selected is a narrow-headed marsh fly, taken by bscott from Minnesota. Unfortunately, iNaturalist does not allow us to upload an image as part of the journal entry, so be sure to check out the Wisconsin Sea Grant’s social media to see the featured photo!
Overall, great job, and thank you all for your contributions! We’re excited to see what you find this week.
Posted on April 30, 2024 03:50 PM by gnashold|0 comments|Leave a comment
April 22, 2024
Week 1 Challenges
Now that you're (hopefully) getting ready for some iNaturalist action, we wanted to provide everyone with a launching point. Every week, there will be two challenges: an aquatic challenge and a terrestrial challenge. You can pick and choose either one, or none at all, but we’d love it if you did both! This week’s challenges are listed below. Every Monday, we will feature photos on our social media from the previous week that we found particularly intriguing. Please submit your observations by Sunday night to be considered. We look forward to seeing what you encounter!
Aquatic Challenge:
Don’t leaf it behind! Take a photo of any leafed plant living in water.
Terrestrial Challenge:
Ins(p)ect it! Take a photo of an insect. Remember: an insect has a hard exoskeleton (similar to a shell), a three-part body (a segment for their head, body, and rear), antennae, and 3 pairs of legs (6 in total!)
Posted on April 22, 2024 06:45 PM by gnashold|3 comments|Leave a comment
Hello and welcome to the fourth annual Great Lakes BioBlitz! We’re so glad you’re here, and we hope you're as eager as we are to get started. And, of course, happy Earth Day!
First, we'd like to shout out the Center for Great Lakes Literacy (CGLL), whose continued support makes events like this possible. Thank you!
On this home page, you’ll see observations from your peers in the Great Lakes watershed. We will also post weekly challenges, features, and general information about the Great Lakes! We hope you’ll enjoy sifting through the other posts–maybe you’ll even encounter a species you never knew existed!
Posted on April 22, 2024 06:39 PM by gnashold|0 comments|Leave a comment
