Great Southern BioBlitz 2023 - Greater Bendigo's Journal

Thank you to the 17 people & 74+ identifiers who participated in Greater Bendigo GSB2023!
**Remember you can upload/identify observations made during the GSB period (24-27 Nov) until end Monday 11 December **

Sunday has been a perfect day for observations, sunny, mild & light breeze!
After Saturday's storms, nature's been refreshed, lots of birds, reptiles & insects to be seen.
Lee is our leading observer today.
Welcome to our new members.
Remember you've got 2 weeks to upload your pictures taken between 24 -27 Nov

Hoping for Saturday & Sunday's weather to be mild & still, ideal for getting into nature & making lots of observations!
Deirdre is the observations leader today, who'll be next?
Sunday 26 Nov, Friends of Solomon Gully Nature Conservation Reserve are holding a Bioblitz along the Leanganook Track between Burnside St & Fletcher St Quarry Hill- join in at anytime between 11am to 2pm

Here are some last-minute tips for bioblitz success:

Plan your day - look to explore some new parks or nature reserves you may not have been to before

If you're going exploring - be prepared! Take a bag with guidebooks, water, snacks, first aid and of course spare batteries for your camera, or a portable charger for your phone!

Explore a diversity of habitats - you are going to get more species if you go to a variety of environments

Take images of wild organisms, insects, plants in their natural habitat, (or weeds invading a natural habitat!) just not planted plants or pet animals.

Take a friend and family and have fun!

We're looking forward to seeing what you find, showcasing the incredible biodiversity of the southern hemisphere

If you find a spider in a web, photographs of both the upper and undersides can be helpful

Insect identification can often be helped by the number and position of veins in an insect’s wing. Try and capture this by getting shots from directly above
Noting the plant you find a beetle or bug on can aid identification and provide useful ecological data

Photograph fungi from above, below (showing the gills or pores) and the side

Record the “substrate” you find a fungus on eg. soil or dead wood, or live plant

When observing plants, photograph as many features as possible. This includes flowers and leaves (from above and below), bark, fruit if present, a branch showing leaf arrangement, and a shot of the whole plant to give a sense of its growth habit

Capture as many angles and as much information as you can. While some groups such as birds can often be recognised from a single photograph, many other taxa require multiple features for a positive identification to be made

Photography tips:

🌱 Snap plants, animals, insects, birds, fungi – anything living!

🐚 Even evidence of life like shells, tracks, and feathers counts.

📍 Where to explore? The magic is everywhere! Your backyard, parks, trails, and more.

🤔 How many photos? It's up to you! Capture a few during your weekend stroll or dedicate a day to discovery. Every photo contributes!

🦉 What's a Bioblitz? Think of it as a biodiversity extravaganza! Discover and identify as many species as possible in a short span. Let's showcase Greater Bendigo's diversity and compete with other zones – every photo is a step towards victory!
🔗 Use #GSBioblitz #BiodiversityExploration #NatureLoversUnite to share your journey!

Let's make this year's Great Southern Bioblitz a roaring success!