The South Santiam Watershed Council is hosting a BioBlitz from July 26th to July 29th, covering the expansive 1040 square mile South Santiam River basin, stretching from the headwaters at the crest of the Cascade Mountains to its confluence with the North Santiam River. We will be using iNaturalist to document our findings, and we need your help! This BioBlitz is a fantastic opportunity for everyone in the community to come together, explore the natural beauty of our region, and contribute to important data collection.

A BioBlitz is an event where people gather to find and identify as many species of plants, animals, insects, and other organisms as possible within a set time and area. It’s a fun, community-driven activity that brings together scientists, naturalists, and nature enthusiasts of all ages. By participating in this BioBlitz, you’ll be engaging in community science, helping to create a detailed snapshot of the biodiversity in the South Santiam River basin. The data collected can reveal trends in the presence of invasive species, highlight areas where native species are thriving, and even confirm the existence of species not previously documented in certain locations. Your participation is crucial to the success of this project, and together we can gather valuable information that will aid in the conservation of our local ecosystems.

Using iNaturalist has many advantages, including access to a large community of experts who help confirm identifications. After you upload an observation and provide an initial identification, these experts review and verify the data, ensuring it is accurate and reliable. To maximize the effectiveness of your observations, consider uploading multiple pictures of the same organism from different angles and aspects, and make sure the photos are in focus and well-lit. This helps experts identify the species more accurately and contributes to the quality of the data collected.

So, if you’re in your backyard, at a county park, floating the river, or camping higher in the mountains on one of the South Santiam’s beautiful tributaries, pull out your phone, snap some photos, and help us document all the awesome plants and critters the South Santiam basin has to offer. To join the BioBlitz, download the iNaturalist app from the App Store or Google Play and join our iNaturalist project here. Whether you’re a seasoned naturalist or just curious about the world around you, your contributions are important. Let’s explore, discover, and document the incredible diversity of life in the South Santiam River basin together!