BioBlitz 2024
From May 6-12, we'll be hosting our second-annual BioBlitz: a community-led effort to identify and record species across campus.
Date and time
Location
University of Waterloo
200 University Avenue West Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1 CanadaAgenda
7:00 AM - 9:00 AM
Guided Walk: Birds
9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Guided Walk: Insects
12:00 PM - 2:00 PM
BioBlitz Community Fair
About this event
- 6 days 23 hours
The University of Waterloo Sustainability Office will be hosting the second-annual campus-wide BioBlitz: a community-led effort to identify and record species across campus. There are several ways you can participate:
- Community Fair (Mon, May 6): Join us in the Student Life Centre (SLC) from 12-2pm for the BioBlitz Community Fair, bringing together local organizations who focus on nature via monitoring, stewardship, and education. Light refreshments will be provided (please bring your own mug!) and prizes awarded for participating.
- Guided Walks (Mon, May 6 to Fri, May 10): Sign up for a guided walk with local experts to learn how to identify specific plant and animal species across main campus. Meeting locations and rain dates for specific walks will be shared with attendees by April 12.
- Tree Planting (Wed, May 8 and Thurs, May 9): Support conservation on campus by volunteering at one of two tree planting events!
- Independent Identification (Mon, May 6 to Sun, May 12): Individuals and small groups can also identify species independently on the iNaturalist platform.
We welcome all members of the campus community - students, staff, faculty, family, and friends - to join us! Note: We kindly ask that you do not register for multiple sessions in the same time slot. There will be no opportunity to switch between guided hikes.
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The top three (3) people who make the most observations on iNaturalist in the "University of Waterloo BioBlitz" Project during the BioBlitz (Mon, May 6, 12:00am - Sun, May 12, 11:59pm) will win prizes! See full terms and conditions.
Frequently asked questions
We'll supply all the equipment necessary, but we encourage you to dress appropriately for the weather! Bring water, sunscreen, bug spray, proper walking shoes, and anything else you might need to be outdoors. Please also self-monitor for ticks.
We encourage you to take active or public transport to get to and from campus! Take the ION or a bus to the University of Waterloo station, or take a walking or cycling trail.
Kindly do NOT sign up for conflicting sessions. Each session will take place in a different location on campus and may include some walking.
Each hike will cover a different part of campus. Most will require some walking through wooded areas without paved roads. The other sessions will either take place indoors or in an accessible outdoor space. For specific accessibility questions, please email patricia.huynh@uwaterloo.ca .
Guided hikes will go as scheduled unless there is thunder and lightning, or heavy wind or rain. Rain dates will be communicated by April 12.