Fall is officially here! The BioBlitz will go on rain or shine, so dress for the weather and meet us for a day of fun in the sun or rain.

Come join Nature Canada for its annual fall BioBlitz Friday September 12 at 3pm until Saturday September 13 at 3pm at Mud Lake!

Help us explore your NatureHood. BioBlitzes are a great way to get out and learn about nature from the experts as we survey Mud Lake and attempt to identify as many living things as possible in the area.

Visitor events include guided walks, and tours where guests can learn to identify the diverse wildlife found at Mud Lake. Each guided nature walk will focus on a different topic including: song birds, water birds, mosses, insects, reptiles and amphibians. So get your binoculars and hiking boots ready and join us as we get up close and personal with a world of mystery right outside your door.

Examining an insect
Photography by Susanne Ure

Check back soon for the full schedule and see which walk you would like to join, or come out for them all. Experts and beginners alike are welcome. We hope to see you all there!

Friday September 12, 2014
3:00 pm – Birds You have heard him present the “Tweet of the Week” on CBC, now join Alex MacDonald as he searches for birds at this unique site.
4:00 pm – Trees, shrubs and grasses Join Patrick Killeen, lead taxonomist with the Mud Lake Biodiversity Project, as he wades through a sea of green.
7:30 pm – Evening Critters and Sounds Join Alex MacDonald to find what goes bump in the night at Mud Lake.

Saturday September 13, 2014
8:00 am and 9:00 am – Songbirds Join Emily Bird on the search for the early bird when they are most active. Identify birds by song and sight. Bring your binoculars or borrow a pair from Nature Canada. Remember, the early bird catches the worm!
9:00 am – Waterbirds Join Alex MacDonald and be amazed by all the species you can see out on the water with the help of a spotting scope and binoculars.
10:00 am – Mosses and Lichens Join Jennifer Doubt and discover a world of mosses and lichens often overlooked.
11:00 am – Vascular Plants Join Alex MacDonald as he studies the “higher plants” of Mud Lake
12:00 pm – Trees, shrubs and grasses Join Patrick Killeen, lead taxonomist with the Mud Lake Biodiversity Project, as he wades through a sea of green.
1:00 pm, 1:30 pm and 2:00 pm- Reptiles and Amphibians Join Bill Halliday and Julie Chateauvert on the hunt for these frogs, salamanders, snakes, turtles and other wildlife. You might want to bring rain boots for this one! Multiple walks offered.

Examining Mud Lake treasures
Photography by Susanne Ure

Don’t have your own pair of binoculars? Don’t worry! You can borrow one of ours. We have 8 pairs of binoculars that we will have at the Nature Canada tent for you to borrow to take on a walk.

When you arrive check in at the Nature Canada tent to register for your walk. We will be meting at Mud Lake (northeast of Britannia Park) at the end of Cassels St just before the water filtration plant. Look for the blue tent.

A special Thank You to all the experts who will be sharing their expert knowledge and passion with us at this event!