In September 2024, twenty-six nature lovers gathered at The Nature Place in Angelica Creek Park for a bioblitz, a collaborative event where participants observe as many different living species as possible in a designated place and time. The group experienced firsthand how bioblitzes can be a fun way to meet other people interested in nature and to increase awareness and appreciation for biodiversity.
In the program led by Berks Nature staff members Michael Griffith and Beckey Seel and Penn State Berks biology instructor and Berks Nature Ambassador Bryan Wang, participants learned to observe and document nature using the mobile app iNaturalist. Using this tool, they then conducted a small-scale, 90-minute bioblitz, collecting photographs and audio recordings of the flora and fauna they encountered at The Nature Place and sharing them with the iNaturalist community. The app, which uses computer vision to identify species in images, also provided the bioblitzers with information about what they were observing.
By the end of the morning, the group had collected over 320 observations of 140 different species, Hollow Joe-Pye Weed and Common Jewelweed to Coral Honeysuckle and Cutleaf Coneflower.
“Bioblitzers” gather at The Nature Place to receive a brief training before heading into Angelica Creek Park to document as many plant and animal species as they can.
They photographed Amber Snails, Arion Slugs, and a Leopard Slug. They observed bees—Western Honey Bees, Eastern Bumble Bees, Eastern Carpenter Bees—and butterflies—Great Spangled Fritillary, Eastern Tailed-Blue, Huron Sachem.
An observation of a spider wasp, a stinging insect that preys on spiders, led one group of participants to talk about tarantula hawks, parasitic wasps that attack tarantulas. These wasps sting their prey to paralyze but not kill it, drag the body to their nest, and lay a single egg on it. After the egg hatches, the larva feeds on the still-living host.
“Each time I made an observation on iNaturalist, I was excited to make another one.”
Emma Fogel, Berks Nature Preschool Teacher & Bioblitz Participant
“I really enjoyed the program. I loved being able to connect with other community members, learn from them, and share my own knowledge.”
Sophia Donahue, Bioblitz Participant
Arthropodic horrors aside, the bioblitz participants expressed how much they enjoyed being outside and observing nature. They appreciated learning about iNaturalist, which they found a very useful tool, and they were excited to share their interest in nature with others.
That last point may prove especially important, since this first-ever bioblitz at Berks Nature is meant to be only a beginning: the organizers and participants envision future bioblitzes across Berks County. Ultimately, they hope to generate enough excitement to lead Berks County into entering the international City Nature Challenge, an annual bioblitz in which communities across the globe engage in a “collaboration-meets-friendly-competition” challenge to involve as many people as possible in discovering the nature around them and conserving biodiversity.
“I could do this for hours. I learned that there are insects in tiny spots, so I began looking under leaves and in little nooks… Just standing and looking at one location made me realize how busy a flower can be. So many bugs in one spot!”
Jennifer Fleming, Bioblitz Participant
Written by Bryan Wang, Instructor of Biology at Penn State Berks and Berks Nature Ambassador
