2021 CRD Biodiversity Challenge's Journal

Clear photos provide evidence of your iNaturalist findings, and help others to confirm your observations. Here are some tips for taking great photos during the Biodiversity Challenge:

• Focus on a single organism. As much as possible, get close to the species you are observing and centre the organism in the frame.

• Take multiple photos for a single observation. For example, you can take a photo of an entire tree, combined with photos of its leaf, bark, and fruit. Together, this group of photos will allow for the most accurate observation.

• Discard blurry photographs. If the organism moved or there is low light, retake the photo.

• Getting a clear close-up shot of tiny organisms is important for their identification. Clip-on macro lenses can improve the zoom on your smartphone.

Have fun improving your photography skills while celebrating local biodiversity!

You do not have to stray far from home to find amazing plants, animals and ecosystems in the capital region. Did you know that Greater Victoria lies in one of Canada’s nature hotspots, bursting with an incredible diversity of plants and wildlife? Nestled among our neighbourhoods and workplaces are salmon-bearing streams, Garry oak meadows, vibrant wetlands and dynamic shorelines. In our backyards and local parks we can find pollinating insects, migrating birds, native wildflowers, and towering trees. This incredible abundance of life, or biodiversity, supports clean air and water, food security, recreational and cultural opportunities, and is key to the high quality of life we enjoy in the capital region.

The Biodiversity Challenge is designed so that you can observe nature anywhere in the capital region, even in your own yard. If you are looking for ideas of new natural areas to visit, the Greater Victoria NatureHood recently published a NatureHood map. This map profiles many of the natural gems that you can visit in the region, as well as some of the plants and wildlife that you may encounter on your excursions. View the map online here. For a hard copy, visit Panorama Recreation Centre at 1885 Forest Park Drive in North Saanich, or the other locations listed in the link.

The Biodiversity Challenge is a family-friendly activity suited to nature lovers of all ages. Here are some tips to help maximize the fun and learning for young naturalists.

1. Choose a location.
   Start with a familiar place where you and your family are comfortable. If you know where entrances points are, have an idea of where paths and trails lead and where the washrooms are, and you will be able to relax and focus a bit more on enjoying the outdoors.

2. Pack your gear.
   To participate in the challenge you will need photographs. Make sure your phone or camera battery is charged. If you only have one camera to share, consider bringing binoculars, a magnifying glass, journals or note books or an ID guide so everyone feels involved. Take turns using the different pieces of equipment.

3. Dress for the weather.
   No one is happy when uncomfortable. Check the weather before you go and be sure to bring hats, sunscreen, boots or raincoats depending on conditions.

4. Make it fun!
   Depending on how old your children are and their excitement for the challenge, here are a few ideas to keep them engaged:
   • Make it into a scavenger hunt (e.g. Find a flower, a tree, a bird, a mammal, a bug, a bush, something in your favorite colour, etc.)
   • Play “I Spy” and use those as your observations (e.g. I spy… something pink, something in bloom, something prickly, something tall, something flying, something singing a song, etc.)
   • Take the time to pause and explore your finds: If you find a slug - watch it crawl across the ground. Can you see its eyes on the eyestalks? Is it leaving a slime trail? If you see a duck - watch it swim, dive or preen – what do you think it’s doing? For trees – feel the bark and leaves. Do they feel the same as other trees? Can you see any insects or bees around the flowers? Does the flower have a pattern when you look close? Mimic the sounds or action of what you find. Stand tall like a tree, hop along the trail like a frog, buzz and flap your arms like a bee.

Even if you don’t end up with great photos or only have one observation to upload – that’s okay. The whole point is to take the time to notice the amazing diversity of life around us. You can still log on and see what others photographed and compare to what you saw on your outing or see every day.

While you get ready to explore biodiversity in the capital region this weekend, give some thought to the native plants and wildlife that may already be in your yard, boulevard, or balcony. Try to include some iNaturalist observations from your home landscape, and consider some ways to improve the habitat value of your yard:

Food
Choose a variety of native plants that have co-evolved with local wildlife. Different types of plants such as colourful flowers and nut and seed bearing trees and shrubs will provide food throughout the season. Flowers with different colours, shapes and bloom times will support various types of pollinators and birds. Remove invasive plants as they outcompete local plants and can support invasive wildlife.
Water
Depending on your budget and space you can add a bird bath, a pond or simply add a shallow water dish with a few pebbles or stones for insects. No matter the type of water source you choose, make sure to change the water and clean the container regularly to avoid the spread of disease and mosquitos.
Shelter
Provide plants, natural elements and artificial shelter for wildlife to use for cover, rest, hunting and breeding. Gardening with plants of various types and heights supports a greater diversity of wildlife. Evergreen trees are particularly important in the winter months when temperatures are cooler, whereas deciduous trees and shrubs can provide important shade mid-summer. Natural elements like snags (dead trees) are vital for many local bird species as they use the tree cavity to sleep and raise their young. Artificial units like bird nesting boxes can be an alternative when snags are not available.
Natural Gardening Techniques
• Avoid pesticides so your yard is a safe place for biodiversity.
• Add compost to help return nutrients to the soil and support decomposers.
• Mulch to conserve moisture, reduce weeds, add nutrients to soil, and provide shelter.
• Use water wisely and let your lawn go golden. It will return to green with the fall rains.
• Practice green lawn care by reducing lawn area, and leave grass cuttings on lawn.

Biodiversity allows humans to thrive and supports us in many ways from pollinating our food, cleaning our water, and improving our well-being. Building backyard biodiversity helps our communities and vital ecosystems that support us. No matter the size of your garden from small patio to large country lot, you can make a difference.

There are many benefits of gardening with biodiversity in mind:
• Conserve local biodiversity
• Create and maintain habitat and corridors for wildlife
• Attract wildlife that can help control potential pests in your yard
• Pollination for food and beautiful flowers in our region
• Return nutrients to the soil through decomposition
• Support your physical and mental health

Learn more ways to build backyard biodiversity at www.crd.bc.ca/gardening.

The Biodiversity Challenge has finally arrived! We hope you are able to connect with nature in the capital region throughout the long weekend and share your observations of the amazing biodiversity you are bound to find.

When visiting local parks and natural areas, please remember to tread lightly:

1. Make observations only on established trails and paths. Stay off of private property unless you have permission.
2. Do not disturb birds or other wildlife. Keep a respectful distance, and make sure dogs are under control.
3. Move slowly and take your time. Find a quiet spot to rest and watch as the insects and birds move around you. Notice plants beside you that you would normally walk right by.
4. Pack out any waste and dispose of it properly.
5. Leave any rocks, logs, plants and other natural objects as you find them.
6. iNaturalist automatically obscures the location of any species that may be threatened by collection/harvesting. If you wish, you can also choose to make the location of any observation private using the geo-privacy settings when you record your observation.

The results are rolling in from what was a very successful Biodiversity Challenge. Over 5000 iNaturalist observations were made in the capital region over the long weekend, surpassing previous years by a sizeable margin!

If you have any observations that you made between May 21 and May 24 but have not yet loaded to iNaturalist, you have until 12 noon on May 31 to add these final observations to our official count. We will be announcing the final numbers and the prize winners on May 31. We will select winners from the project member list and contact winners through iNaturalist with prize pick-up information.

Please spend some time checking in with your observations. If you uploaded observations hoping someone would help you identify the species, check to see if anyone has a suggestion. If you agree with their suggestion click “agree.” If not, perhaps you can add more information in the notes or use their suggestions to narrow down an ID. The more individuals that agree with an identification the more reliable the data becomes.

For further learning, take some time to add identifications to observations from fellow project participants, to help those observations become Research Grade. This is a great way to expand your knowledge about local species and contribute to good citizen science. For more information on how to do this, see iNaturalist's helpful video tutorial.

Thanks to everyone for their enthusiastic participation this weekend!