Bioblitz planned for bay reserve

Nature lovers are being invited to take a wildlife snapshot of what’s living and growing in and around Matheson Bay later this month as part of a global citizen science initiative.

The Community Biodiversity Assessment Day, or “bioblitz”, is being organised by the Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust, Te Kohuroa Rewilding Initiative and Auckland Council, and will take place on Saturday, April 26 from 9.30am.

There will be guided snorkel sessions and walks so participants can explore the ocean, beach, stream, wetland and bush in and around Matheson Bay Reserve to photograph and identify all the plants, fish, animals, birds and bugs they can find.

In addition to compiling biodiversity observations, the event will celebrate the work volunteers and the community have put into Te Kohuroa Rewilding Initiative this summer, with a shared picnic lunch and a sausage sizzle.

There will also be spot prizes up for grabs for the most interesting observations.

The information collected will be shared as part of the global City Nature Challenge, which started as a competition between Los Angeles and San Francisco in 2016, but has since grown into an international event, motivating people around the world to find and document wildlife in their own cities and regions.

“This is a must for all eager phone photographers who like to snap the local wildlife and GoPro enthusiasts who love to explore the underwater world with their cameras,” one of the organisers says.

Anyone wanting to participate in the snorkelling bioblitz must be at least 10 years old and have prior snorkelling experience, and any participants under 16 must be accompanied by an adult in the water.

The land-based bioblitz is suitable for anyone aged five and over, providing they are able to walk over uneven terrain for up to a kilometre and again, anyone under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

The day will be preceded on April 23 by an online training session run by Auckland Council’s senior advisor for conservation education, Frazer Dale, who will show how to log findings on the iNaturalist website. This session will be recorded and shared for those who can’t make it in person.

The event itself will kick off at 9.30am at Matheson Bay Reserve with a welcome and briefing and run until mid-afternoon.

Info and registration: https://shorturl.at/ydjzP