BioBlitz

The Trails, Open Space & Parks (TOPS) program is hosting a BioBlitz Saturday, August 6th at Blodgett Open Space. Free and open to the public, the event is focused on finding as many species as possible to create a biological census of the area. There will be a guided birding hike in the morning and family-friendly activity booths set up in the main parking lot where participants can learn more about the local scientific community, plus flora, fauna, and fungi in the Pikes Peak region.

It’s easy to participate in the bioblitz as a citizen scientist! Simply download the iNaturalist app and note your observations on the day of the event. The free app maps and helps identify flora, fauna, and fungi. The process is simple: snap a picture or take a recording, then work with the app to identify the plant or animal. All observations in the project area are saved and stored for future analysis. If you don’t know what you found, the iNaturalist community will help identify it for you.

The Trails, Open Space and Parks (TOPS) program started hosting community bioblitzes in 2017 to get a snapshot of biodiversity within parks and open spaces citywide. Over time, these snapshots will be compared to reveal how the areas’ ecosystems are changing and can provide insight into management practices. TOPS is a city sales and use tax that protects and preserves trails, open space and parks citywide. Since 1997, it has preserved nearly 7,200 acres of open space. For more information on TOPS, visit ColoradoSprings.gov/TOPS.