The Parks for Pollinators BioBlitz is a nation-wide, virtual event in which community members help to create a snapshot of the variety of plants and wildlife that can be found in our County parks. To participate, community members will use the iNaturalist app on their smart phone or tablet to take and submit pictures of plants, insects, and animals to see what species are present in the park during the month-long event and provide the park system with more information about local pollinators, which are essential to our ecosystem.

• Learn which pollinators are using our parks and which plants can be found there to help us make management decisions to protect biodiversity.
• Provide a nature-based activity that friends, families, and individuals can enjoy at their own pace in any of our 11,000+ acres of Middlesex County parklands.
• Raise public awareness of the benefits of pollinators and the role they play in the natural world.

The photos and observations that users generate with iNaturalist — including participants in the Parks for Pollinators BioBlitz — are collected on the iNaturalist website and become part of a worldwide effort to gather information on biodiversity. Once submitted, an observation is reviewed by the iNaturalist community, and an accurate identification of species is generated. If enough users agree, the observation is listed as “Research Grade.” Those observations that reach that threshold are entered into the Global Biodiversity Information Facility database — which collects biodiversity records from scientific surveys around the world. To date, the GBIF data has been used for more than 7,000 research papers, improving education and decision-making regarding biodiversity, human health, climate change, and the environment.

The BioBlitz takes place during the entire month of September. You can participate as little or as much as you want. Follow these steps:

1. In your tablet or smartphone’s app store, search for the free iNaturalist app. Click and install it on your phone.
2. Open the app and create an account.
3. Login and look for the PROJECTS tab in the lower right-hand corner of the screen (iPhone) or the upper left-hand corner of your screen (Android).
4. Once you are in the PROJECTS page, use the Search function to find “Parks for Pollinators 2024 – Middlesex County Parks.”
5. Click JOIN.

You are now ready to make observations as part of the “Parks for Pollinators 2024 – Middlesex County Parks” BioBlitz event, beginning on September 1, 2024. You can also join the project on your computer here.

1. While visiting one of Middlesex County’s parks or open space preserves, look for a plant or pollinator to record an observation. We recommend that you start with a flower.
2. Open the iNaturalist app on your smartphone.
3. If requested, log in to your account.
4. Click on the OBSERVE tab at the bottom of the screen or the MAKE AN OBSERVATION tab.
5. Choose how you will make the observation. In this case, select CAMERA/TAKE A PHOTO.
6. Focus your smartphone’s camera on your subject: the flower. Snap the picture!
7. Click USE PHOTO or RETAKE, if you want to try again.
8. In the DETAILS page, click on PROJECTS near the bottom of the screen or ADD TO PROJECT.
9. Turn on “Parks for Pollinators 2024 – Middlesex County Parks”.
10. Back in the DETAILS page, tap on “WHAT DID YOU SEE?” The app’s AI will give you a few choices of what you observed. Select the one that you think is correct.
11. Back in the DETAILS page, click SHARE/CHECK.

Now your observation is part of the project and available for other users to see!