

Join us to learn more about the plants and animals who live here. Friends and the Science Vortex team up to host the Verde Valley BioBlitz in conjunction with the Verde Valley Birding & Nature Festival each Earth Day. Funded by the City of Cottonwood, the BioBlitz is a way for you to contribute to science! You take photos of plants, fungi, and animals and upload them to a mobile app, iNaturalist, to identify and record as many species of living things as possible over the course of two weeks. We download your observations to find out who lives here with us humans. Through the observations you submit through the BioBlitz, we better understand the state of wildlife and the Verde River. We award prizes for the community scientists who submit the most species observations. It’s a win-win!
BioBlitz participants are invited to go out along the river – or anywhere in the Verde River system, like Oak Creek or West Clear Creek – and use the iNaturalist app to take photos of plants, animals, birds, and insects. By submitting your observations through iNaturalist, you gather important species data for the Verde River, helping our efforts to document native and invasive species in our sensitive habitat systems. You do not have to be a biologist; the identification of species is turned over to iNaturalist experts! Your job as a community scientist in the BioBlitz is to enjoy your time outdoors and submit quality photos.
Whether you are a regular user of iNaturalist or you’ve never heard of it, you can participate in the BioBlitz as long as you have a smartphone or tablet.
This event benefits our community and has benefits for your own individual health. Spending time outdoors and volunteering are two activities recommended to boost mental health and build a feeling of connection to the community. We look forward to seeing you on the river. If you post photos throughout the event please be sure to use hashtag #PurdyVerde and tag @friendsoftheverderiver!