L.A. BioBlitz Challenge 2021's Journal

Thank you for your participation as a neighborhood scientist in the inaugural L.A. BioBlitz Challenge! The results of the first week in this two month challenge are fantastic with 1,387 observations, 511 species, 328 observers and 280 identifiers from across the city of Los Angeles. Your observations are crowdsourced and will add to the body of knowledge about the city’s biodiversity. We hope you enjoy this challenge as summer arrives, and appreciate nature and wildlife around your homes and neighborhood. Thank you again for joining the L.A. BioBlitz Challenge and taking the time to submit your observations and identifications. We can’t wait to see more interesting wild species observed in our city in week 2! For more information, visit lapl.org/bioblitz.

​The goal of the L.A. BioBlitz Challenge is to expand our commitment to helping Angelenos learn more about our interconnectedness and reliance on the environment in a fun and engaging way. The objectives are to enumerate the city’s existing native biodiversity with particular attention to indicator species (https://www.lapl.org/steam/bioblitz#indicator), reduce cold spots on the observation heat map, and increase the awareness residents have of local wildlife and habitats.

Your participation in the L.A. BioBlitz Challenge can help us reach this goal! For more information, visit lapl.org/bioblitz.

An absolutely incredible start to the challenge! Our top five observed indicator species are currently:

1. Red-tailed hawk
2. Monarch butterfly
3. Baja California tree frog
4. Great blue heron
5. Mule deer

Thank you for these wonderful sightings and getting us to 4,045 observations and 1,008 species in week three! Looking ahead, we would like you to keep your eyes open for more indicator species (https://www.lapl.org/steam/bioblitz#indicator) that have not yet been seen as part of this challenge, like the hooded merganser, black-bellied salamander, and Bramble green hairstreak. Keep up the great observations and please share your photos on social media to help spread the awareness about the challenge. Remember to add the hashtag #LABioBlitz when sharing all the wildlife you’ve photographed!