Citizen Science Mi'kma'ki
Citizen Science Mi'kma'ki (Nova Scotia) is a project sponsored by the Arlington Forest Protection Society. The purpose of the project is to provide a centralized platform for the coordination and promotion of bioblitz (groundtruthing) events throughout Mi'kma'ki (Nova Scotia) in collaboration with citizen scientists and environmental organizations and groups.
The Government of Nova Scotia has a goal to protect 20% of lands and waters by 2030, which means 330,000 hectares of land needs to be protected. This project is intended to support those efforts by identifying areas of ecological interest (high biodiversity or suitable habitat for Species at Risk), and encouraging citizen scientists to document their observations using iNaturalist.
What is a Bioblitz?
A bioblitz is "a communal citizen science effort to record as many species within a specific area over a short period of time".
Bioblitzing is also known as "ground truthing".
Simply put, a bioblitz means getting a group of people together in one area to take a whole bunch of photos of nature in a few short hours. And then upload them to iNaturalist.
How can you get involved?
Join the Bioblitz Mi'kma'ki (Nova Scotia) Facebook group to access the latest maps of areas of special ecological and environmental interest - those likely to have good biodiversity or suitable habitat for Species At Risk, and to see what Bioblitz events might be happening in your area!
Get ready to take your phone into the woods to document everything you see!
Download and install iNaturalist Canada to start taking photos and upload them to the app. Photos will automatically be added to the various projects already in place based on the GPS location.
The Bioblitz Mi'kma'ki (Nova Scotia) map highlights areas of high ecological value and biodiversity. Submit your suggestions for an area to be added by contacting us today!
Project Stories
As of December 2022 the Citizen Science Mi’kma’ki (Nova Scotia) project has helped to launch and promote bioblitz (ground-truthing) events across the province focusing on areas potentially under threat from logging and development. Click the links below to learn more about these areas and the work that was done by Citizen Scientists.