![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/bioblitz-ella-canoeing-860x484.png\")
<\/p>\nYour photos can help scientists monitor environmental changes<\/p>\n
You don\u2019t need a lab coat or a doctorate to be a scientist.\u00a0<\/p>\n
All you need is a smartphone, some sunscreen and a little bit of curiosity.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s called being a \u201ccommunity scientist\u201d and the Nature Conservancy of Canada is calling on people to join in.<\/p>\n
The non-profit organization is running its annual Big Backyard BioBlitz program this week.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s asking people across Canada to submit photos and videos of wildlife to help scientists understand and protect the environment.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s as simple as going for a walk in your neighbourhood and snapping some photos.<\/p>\n
Why this teen wants to participate<\/p>\n
Ella Fairley loves spending time with nature.<\/p>\n
She\u2019s a 16-year-old from Toronto, Ontario, who is hoping to spend some time near Lake Erie spotting wildlife for the BioBlitz.<\/p>\n
Her strategy is to go low \u2014 observing some of the bugs and small plants underneath us.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think I would probably find a spot and just observe all I could in the little area and then kind of go on a bit of a wander,\u201d she said in an interview with CBC Kids News.<\/p>\n
She\u2019s never participated in a BioBlitz before, but she thinks it\u2019s a great idea.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a great way to understand and empathize with the creatures that share the world we\u2019re living in,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Ella Fairley enjoys outdoor activities like canoeing, camping, fishing and even using natural plant fibres for basket weaving and carving. (Image submitted by Ryan Andersen)<\/p>\n
How the BioBlitz works<\/p>\n
Whenever you go outside, take a hike, or even watch birds from the window \u2014 take your camera.<\/p>\n
You can join the BioBlitz by taking photos or videos of any species of plants, animals, insects, birds, fish or any other wildlife you see.<\/p>\n
Next, you can upload your images to the iNaturalist app.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s like a social media app for scientists and nature enthusiasts to search and share wildlife sightings around the world.<\/p>\n
Whenever you upload something, it logs the time, location and even the specific species you\u2019re looking at.<\/p>\n
![\"Left,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/inaturalist-app.png\")
<\/p>\n
You can upload your wildlife photos to iNaturalist, an app for tracking wildlife around the world. It even helps you identify the specific species you\u2019re looking at. (Image credit: Nature Conservancy of Canada, iNaturalist)<\/p>\n
Anyone in Canada can take part \u2014 no matter where you live.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a fascinating world of species interacting with each other all around you, according to Ryan Norris, a biology professor at the University of Guelph in Ontario.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s more out there than you think,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Taking the time to stop and observe the species around you isn\u2019t always easy, he added.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut it\u2019s 10 times better than collecting Pokemon cards.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
How scientists use the information<\/p>\n
When you share photos and videos, you\u2019re helping scientists do important work, according to Kayla Burak, engagement manager at the Nature Conservancy of Canada.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot only today, but 10, 20, 100 years into the future,\u201d she said in an interview with CBC Kids News.<\/p>\n
\u201cScientists will be able to look back at trends over time and identify when and where things changed.\u201d<\/p>\n
For example, scientists can track species population declines and identify opportunities to protect those species, Burak said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAnything and everything is important to document because something that\u2019s common today might not be in 10 years.\u201d<\/p>\n
Have more questions? \ufeffWant to tell us how we’re doing? Use the \u201csend us feedback\u201d link below. \u2b07\ufe0f\u2b07\ufe0f\u2b07\ufe0f<\/p>\n
TOP IMAGE CREDIT: Image submitted by Ryan Andersen<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Your photos can help scientists monitor environmental changes You don\u2019t need a lab coat or a doctorate to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":836427,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[49,48,66,323],"class_list":["post-836426","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-wildlife","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-science","tag-wildlife"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/836426","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=836426"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/836426\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/836427"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=836426"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=836426"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=836426"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}