NBISC Invasive Species BioBlitz 2023 & 2024 Summary
Not only are BioBlitzes a great opportunity to explore your local natural areas, but they also help the New Brunswick Invasive Species Council (NBISC) and our partners to track the spread of invasive species and enhance our ability to manage these threats. Thanks to the generous funding from the New Brunswick Wildlife Trust Fund, NBISC was able to host two week-long bioblitz events that have provided invaluable data on invasive species in New Brunswick. Here’s a summary of the results from the 2023 and 2024 events.
NBISC Invasive Species BioBlitz 2023
The 2023 BioBlitz, held from September 17th – 24th, was a success despite having to cancel the in-person BioBlitz due to the impacts of Hurricane Lee.
Key Results:
108 observations of invasive species were submitted to iNaturalist, with a total of 57 different species documented.
Invasive species that were added to the iNaturalist event project included Woodland Angelica, Japanese Knotweed, Glossy Buckthorn, Japanese Barberry, and Elm Bark Beetle.
There were 18 registrants for the virtual BioBlitz.
NBISC Invasive Species BioBlitz 2024
The 2024 BioBlitz, conducted from July 27th to August 4th, aimed to build on the success of the previous year but faced several challenges, particularly with participant recruitment.
Key Results:
We partnered with the Nature Trust of New Brunswick to host an in-person BioBlitz at their Boar’s Head Nature Preserve in Saint John, NB. The small but mighty group of attendees documented two invasive species found on and near the preserve (Woodland Angelica and Eurasian Watermilfoil).
There were 7 registrants for the virtual BioBlitz.
There were 19 observations added to virtual and in-person iNaturalist event projects, including Woodland Angelica, Glossy Buckthorn, Japanese Knotweed, and Goutweed.
Check out some of the invasive species observations that were submitted on iNaturalist!
Looking Ahead
These events not only provide valuable data but also helped to foster community engagement in invasive species data collection efforts. While the 2023 event demonstrated the effectiveness of community involvement, the 2024 event provided valuable insight when it comes to challenges related to engaging participants. As we move forward, the lessons learned will guide future potential BioBlitzes to enhance their effectiveness and impact.
We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the event participants, the organizations that helped to promote these events, and to the Nature Trust of New Brunswick for partnering with us to host the 2024 in-person BioBlitz. We also want to reiterate our appreciation to the New Brunswick Wildlife Trust Fund for supporting these events and additional outreach activities in 2023 and 2024.
