Online Resources for Running Your BioBlitz Event
These online resources have been collated to help you run your BioBlitz event. All are free, open source and optional. If you know of any additional resources that may be of help, please get in touch!
1. A Guide to Running a BioBlitz:
The BioBlitz beginners best friend, this guide contains hints and tips for planning and hosting a BioBlitz in the UK, written by OPAL, the Natural History Museum and the Marine Biological Association. Topics include getting started, choosing a date and location, recruiting volunteers and setting up your BioBlitz base camp.
Available on the OPAL website, accessed here
2. BioBlitz Logo
Just as there is no copyright on the word "BioBlitz", there is no standard logo. The logo used by the Bristol Natural History Consortium was created by Mat Ward at the Institute of Physics Publishing. Copyright belongs to the Bristol Natural History Consortium and use of the logos is freely available to any BioBlitz event. To download the BioBlitz logo please click here.
3. Evaluation Toolkit
This downloadable toolkit provides the tools to evaluate your event and feed data into our national research project that seeks to investigate the social, environmental and economic outcomes of this event format and assess the value of BioBlitz as a tool for public engagement. Click here to download the toolkit.
4. Using iSpot at your BioBlitz:
iSpot helps people learn about wildlife and how to identify it. You can use iSpot to showcase observations that have been made at your BioBlitz event, by simply adding an appropriate tag to the observations that you upload – click here for details. iSpot experts may also be able to help you with any unidentified species you have found!
Guide note to using iSpot for BioBlitz events
iSpot is the ideal place for people to pursue their newly-found interest after a BioBlitz, providing a friendly community in which beginners and experts can share their knowledge of wildlife.iSpot has been developed by The Open University as part of OPAL and is funded by the Big Lottery Fund.
5. Organising a School Visit at a BioBlitz:
A Bioblitz is a fantastic way in which schools can extend their classroom learning in a local, natural environment, and work with experts and enthusiasts to achieve a shared goal. Airbus has supported the Bristol Natural History Consortium to develop educational resources associated with BioBlitz events and has supported the BNHC to develop this guide to hosting school visits at a BioBlitz: Download it here.
6. Data Management using iRecord:
iRecord is an online platform for submitting wildlife records to the National Biodiversity Database. Click here for more information.
7. Recording Form:
Your local records centre may have a preferred format for collecting species records but you can download our version here in a PDF or editable excel format. This form is broadly compatible with iRecord
8. BioBlitz T-shirts Design
We are sometimes able to supply a small number of BioBlitz branded t-shirts to events as part of your registration. If you require a larger number of tshirts, the design templates for our t-shirts are available to download. This allows you to print your own t-shirts and add any sponsors logos should you have budget available to do so. Click here to download.
9. Encyclopedia of Life Resources:
Encylopedia of Life have published some wonderful resources to help your own BioBlitz activities and are always on the look-out for scientists to help build EOL further. Click on the links to download BioBlitz activities and visit the EOL Learning and Education website to learn more.
- Join the BioBlitz Hoopla : Observe all that is found within the circle of a hoola hoop
- One Small Drop of Water BioBlitz : Use a microscope to inventory what you find in the drop of water.
- Bug BioBlitz: Over a 24-hour period, gather, observe, and identify as many bugs as you can.
- Flip a Rock BioBlitz: Pick up a rock and turn it over, and observe the organisms found on or under the rock.
- Compost Heap BioBlitz: Study compost from an existing heap or begin a heap and assess it over time.
- ID it! : Learn the methods that scientists use to identify an individual species.
10. National Geographic Educational Resources:
Help
prepare kids and teens to get the most out of this exciting event! These
educational resources introduce students to skills that scientists use
in the field. Students learn how scientists use skills such as
observation, recording, identifying species, and mapping when they're
working out on the BioBlitz.
The National Geographic Resources are available through their Education Resources page here
