Similar to a Bioblitz, an EcoBlitz is a community-science effort to make as many environmental observations (e.g., record species present, measure temperature or water quality) within a designated location and time period as possible. Thjis event is unique in that it emphasizes the Center for Integrated Watershed Studies's interdisciplinary nature by collecting data on plant, animal and fungi species, but also geological and environmental toxicological data, such as soil moisture, organic matter content, pH, conductivity, and nitrogen. You can read more about what a BioBlitz is here: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/bioblitz/ https://www.inaturalist.org/pages/bioblitz%252Bguide

The 2025 Annual EcoBlitz will be from Saturday, April 26th to Saturday, May 4th, 2025.

The 2025 Annual EcoBlitz data collection will take place on all Binghamton University properties, including Binghamton University campus, Nature Preserve, and Nuthatch Hollow. The Kickoff Event will be in Lot M1, across from the nature preserve.

The 2025 Annual EcoBlitz is open to the public, including members of the local community and people associated with the university (students, faculty, staff, alumni, family, friends). The EcoBlitz is family friendly and children are encourage to participate with parental supervision.

Yes! We will be giving away various prizes for the winners of the following categories: Most number of observations on the 2025 EcoBlitz iNaturalist Project Most number of unique species on the 2025 EcoBlitz iNaturalist Project Coolest observation of a plant or fungi Coolest observation of an invertebrate (insects, arachnids, gastropods, etc.) Coolest observation of a vertebrate (birds, amphibians, etc.)

The first 50 people at the event will get a Foldscope and extra raffle ticket for a prize! In order to be in the running for an observation-based prize, your observations on iNaturalist need to be submitted between April 26th – May 4th* and located on Binghamton property (campus, the Nature Preserve, and Nuthatch Hollow). We will announce winners at the conclusion of the EcoBlitz! *Binghamton courses connected to the EcoBlitz may begin collection earlier.

The EcoBlitz Kickoff Event will launch the first official day of the 2025 EcoBlitz! The event will include tables hosted by student groups, research groups, and community partners with a variety of environmentally themed activities! Visit our "Station Information" page for the latest descriptions of what activities will be offered and to register for Nature Tours.

The EcoBlitz Kickoff Event will be on Saturday, April 26th from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

The EcoBlitz Kickoff Event will take place on Binghamotn University campus in Lot M1, across from the entrance to the BU Nature Preserve. Rain Location: APP 111. Please follow all Nature Preserve Rules of Use. Please reference the map below.

We have a varity of student groups, research groups, and community partners collaborating with us for the Kickoff Event. Visit our "Station Information" page to learn more about these groups.

The entire EcoBlitz, including the Kickoff Event is FREE!

Yes! You can park in the same lot that the event will be taking place, (Lot M1) on Binghamton University campus. Parking permits are NOT needed for the event.

Yes! Participants of all ages are encouraged to attend the EcoBlitz Kickoff Event! Children under the age of 18 can participate with a parent or guardian. We suggest children and families to visiting our many art tables and demonstrations. Descriptions of these stations can be found on our Station Information page!

You can still help us collect data on your own time between April 26th and May 4th. Any observations made on Binghamton Campus, Nature Preserve, and Nuthatch Hollow will be automatically collected on the 2025 EcoBlitz iNaturalist Project during this window of time. Use this as a great reason to explore the Binghamton University Nature Preserve and it's trails HERE.

We will use the free app iNaturalist to document our observations. The 2024 iNaturalist project page can be found HERE. If you are part of a Binghamton University course and collecting data before April 13th, you can add data to the "Course Collaboration" project HERE.

iNaturalist can be used on the web at https://www.inaturalist.org/ or on a mobile device. To download iNaturalist for iOS, visit the Apple App Store. To download iNaturalist for Android, visit the Google Play Store.

Sign in with a personal email or use an Apple, Facebook, or Google account.

Please follow the following tutorial. 1. Sign into your iNaturalist account 2. Open a new observation by clicking the camera icon. 3. Add your media. You can either take a live photo (make sure to allow the app to access your device's camera), upload a photo from an album, or upload a sound file. If you do not have media, you can select the option "No Photo". *Tip: Upload more than one photo from different angles and use a dime for scale! 4. Identify your species. Click the "What do you see?" tab. Enter a scientific or common name in the search bar to look for the group or species that you think is in your observation. Alternatively, browse the suggested species provided by iNaturalist based on your location and the picture provided. 5. Provide additional information. Log the date, time, location, and additional notes for the observation. If you would like to protect your location, select "Geoprivacy" and choose "Obscured" to provide a location with lowered accuracy or "Private" to not include location. 6. Share! Upload the observation to your iNaturalist profile by clicking the "Share" button. More information can be found on the iNaturalist website HERE. Digital version of this tutorial found HERE.

It's automatic! Just make sure your location settings are turned on and you are observing within the bound of the Binghamton University, campus, Nature Preserve, or Nuthatch Hollow between April 26th and May 4th.