Boston Flora

Tag: iNaturalist

  • Sunday, May 31, 12:00 noon – 4:00 pm – BioBlitz at J.C. Phillips Nature Preserve

    Invasive plants threaten the delicate ecosystems within J.C. Phillips Nature Preserve, located at 779 Cabot Street in Beverly. A BioBlitz will help us show where the forest needs the most assistance. Join us for the kickoff! (Can’t attend the kick-off? You can still collect data all year long!) A BioBlitz is an event where attendees take photos and record sounds to catalog the animals and plants living in an area. The resulting data paints a picture of the ecosystem and what lives there- and what doesn’t! You don’t need experience, just the free iNaturalist app and a smart phone!

    The event is sponsored by Grow Native Massachusetts, Plant Magic Gardens, and Green Beverly, with additional help from the Mass Cultural Council, the Elizabeth B. McGraw Foundation, and the Chrysanta Foundation. Sign up at https://grownativemass.org/Our-Programs/Calendar-of-Events/BioBlitz-with-Green-Beverly-Plant-Magic-Gardens-and-Grow-Native

  • Wednesday, April 15, 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm Eastern – 25th Annual Meeting of the Esplanade Association, Online

    The 25th Anniversary Annual Meeting of The Esplanade Association will take place online Wednesday, April 15 at 6 pm Eastern. Register HERE. Special guest: Stephanie Fletcher presenting on “25 Species for 25 Years”, highlighting 25 animal species that call the Esplanade home and her biodiversity work using the iNaturalist app. 

    Stephanie has had a lifelong love for nature. From a young age, she was observing insects, adopting and raising orphaned wildlife, and smelling any flower within reach. She graduated with a degree in Economics and a minor in Business Management from Syracuse University, then worked as a Sales Manager for Bloomberg’s multimedia and equity trading division in New York for 10 years.

    In 2003, she became a full-time mother and dedicated volunteer for educational and nature-focused non-profits like the Learning Project and Mass Audubon. She is heavily involved with many local green space organizations, like the Esplanade Association, the Garden Club of the Back Bay, and the Friends of the Public Garden. In 2025, she became a Certified Field Naturalist through Mass Audubon and a Certified Pollinator Steward through UMass Amherst. Her discovery of the first Joro Spider in New England was featured in Scott Loarie’s TEDx Boston talk on the power of using iNaturalist as a tool to discover and log biodiversity for scientific study.

  • Tuesday, August 4, 4:30 pm – BioBlitz Session Online

    Tuesday, August 4, 4:30 pm – BioBlitz Session Online

    Learn about BioBlitz, and get ready to participate in citizen science through an instructional session online on August 4 at 4:30 with Dr. Colleen Hitchcock.

    The Young Friends of the Public Garden are excited to announce a BioBlitz in our three parks. We will have a Zoom introduction with Dr. Colleen Hitchcock, a professor in the biology department and environmental studies program at Brandeis University. She will introduce everyone to what a BioBlitz is, the contribution to science, how do you participate, and how to use the free iNaturalist app to record information. Fun for all ages! Register at https://friendsofthepublicgarden.org/2020/07/21/august-4-2020-bioblitz/ Zoom links will be sent to registrants.

  • Sunday, July 19 – Sunday, July 26 – Esplanade Pollinator BioBlitz

    Discover and identify the pollinators of the Charles River Esplanade by taking part in the Esplanade Pollinator BioBlitz from July 19 to July 26. The Esplanade Pollinator BioBlitz encourages individuals to explore the Esplanade and document different species of pollinators they find through the iNaturalist app or in a journal. Participants who register via eventbrite will also receive a Virtual BioBlitz Activity Packet with worksheets, coloring sheets, and a map of the Esplanade.

  • Monday, February 12, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Taking Note: Connecting Citizen Science to Science Learning

    Colleen Hitchcock, PhD, Assistant Professor of Ecology, Department of Biology and Environmental Studies Program, Brandeis University, will speak on Monday, February 12 at 7 pm at the Arnold Arboretum, Hunnewell Building, 125 Arborway, about the value of taking note of natural phenomena and the contributions such actions can make to science, society, and one’s own scientific and bio-literacy.

    She will share how citizen science is used in courses and on campus to educate and engage students. Finally, Colleen will introduce the 2018 City Nature Challenge on iNaturalist, a citizen science project coordinated by Environmental Studies at Brandeis University, UMass Boston, Zoo New England, New England Ocean Science Education Collaborative, Mass Audubon, Encyclopedia of Life at Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology, MIT Senseable lab, and Earthwatch Institute.

    Following Colleen”s presentation, Danny Schissler, Research Assistant in the Friedman Lab, will introduce TreeVersity, an online citizen science initiative at the Arnold Arboretum to classify over 25,000 historic and contemporary plant images. Free, but registration requested – email adulted@arnarb.harvard.edu, or call 617-384-5277.

    https://dailyzooniverse.files.wordpress.com/2017/12/26172306463_c7e1ce761a_o-1.png?w=640

  • Friday, April 14, 12:30 pm – iNaturalist City Challenge

    Contribute to Science, and participate in the iNaturalist City Challenge.

    Every observation can contribute to biodiversity science, from the rarest butterfly to the most common backyard weed. iNaturalist shares your findings with scientific data repositories like the Global Biodiversity Information Facility to help scientists find and use your data. All you have to do is observe.

    Record your encounters with other organisms and maintain life lists, all in the cloud. Works on all devices: smartphones, tablets, etc. Help scientists and resource managers understand when and where organisms occur. Connect with experts who can identify the organisms you observe (they look at your picture and provide identification.) Build your knowledge by talking with other naturalists and helping others.

    The Emerald Necklace Conservancy is on a mission to make Boston the city with the most documented natural species. Join them on a nature walk Friday, April 14 at 12:30 (meet at the Longwood T stop), or make observations on your own using the iNaturalist app between April 14 – 18. Register for the walk at www.emeraldnecklace.org.

  • Saturday, August 27 – Birding and Botanizing at the Hamilton Sanctuary, West Bath, Maine

    The New England Botanical Club has planned a Day field trip on Saturday, August 27 – please contact the group leader no later than August 19 if you would like to join the group.
    Gather for a fun-filled expedition to Maine Audubon’s Hamilton Sanctuary in beautiful mid-coast Maine. Together, we’ll help Maine Audubon by documenting the birds and plants of the sanctuary, using iNaturalist to compile and share our observations. Pack your smart phone or tablet, alongside your hand lens and binoculars – and we’ll have fun birding and botanizing in the digital age!  Level of Difficulty – 2.75 mile trail with easy to moderate walking.  Trip leader: Melissa Cullina (mcullina@mainegardens.org). Melissa will send meeting time, location and directions to those who register for the trip.