Getting out in nearby nature can do the body and mind a lot of good. While pandemic concerns and lockdowns limited our activities, spending time in nature has been a source of support for many. After all, being in nature is like having a scavenger hunt in your neighbourhood. There are just so many things to discover and so much to connect to! 

The BackyardBio Global Nature Campaign

The iNaturalist App is a connection tool for nature lovers both amateur and professional. Since its inception, Canadians have submitted nearly 4.5 million observations of over 25,000 species. That’s 25,000 different ways of cohabiting with everything from beavers to bumblebees all in our own backyard! With such a wide diversity of habitats from tide pools to endless plains to the high arctic, there’s ample room for a bevy of species to coexist and thrive nationwide.

This May, Exploring By The Seat of Your Pants will be using the iNaturalist App to encourage Canadians coast to coast to explore nature through its BackyardBio global nature campaign. All month long, and in partnership with dozens of Canadian nature organizations and international groups, get out there to observe, photograph, and share images of nearby wildlife!

Connect with nature worldwide!

Help us showcase and celebrate Canadian biodiversity! Connect with communities worldwide and get a sense of all the fantastic creatures we share the planet with by participating on social media.

To join the campaign, use the hashtag #backyardbio on your posts, visit the project page on iNaturalist, or register online. Classroom and EcoClub groups in particular have a chance to connect directly with others to share their stories and images of wildlife virtually! 

Conclusion

Whether you have tons of free time or just ten minutes, take the chance to understand more about the wonder of nature and wildlife through BackyardBio this May. Your walk around the block in your NatureHood can become just that much richer for having learned and connected with the natural world in a new way.