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Photo Credit: Aquatic Sciences Center
Are you new to bioblitzing?
We have several ways to learn bioblitzing:
1 - Watch our webinar. This one-hour session will give you most of what you need to get started.
2 - Check out this guide from iNaturalist.
3 - Working with youth? Review & change geolocation settings to protect privacy.
4 - Check out the resources in the tab above. There are many other activities to do with your patrons outside.
Overview of the WiSciFest Bioblitz in your library
What is the WiSciFest Bioblitz?
A free event that focuses on finding and identifying as many wild, living things as possible in Wisconsin during a specified period of time.
When is the WiSciFest Bioblitz?
The Bioblitz begins sunrise October 15 and ends sundown October 25, 2026.
How do I participate in the WiSciFest Bioblitz?
The beauty of this is that you decide your level of participation! Take an afternoon to explore and document some plants or wildlife in an area, or pick a location to return to daily or set a goal to find something new every day–there are many ways to participate. Have your library bioblitz for one hour, one day or for the whole week. You and your library patrons can participate as individuals, as families, in a library program or anything you decide.
Joining is as easy as saying “One-two-three-CHEESE!”
Have your patrons visit iNaturalist or download the app onto your phone and create an account.
Visit and become a member of the 2026 WiSciFest Bioblitz project.
Remember: if you prefer old school bioblitzing, just hold a bioblitz event anywhere in your community during the week and use our worksheet to document your observations.
Geoprivacy - Did you know?
iNaturalist collects location data from users when observations are created and uploaded to the app. Location data is used in the categorization and identification organisms. For personal privacy protection, users also have the ability to manage geoprivacy settings for each observation.
Three Geoprivacy Settings on iNaturalist
Open
Open
Coordinates visible to other users. Good for public spaces.
Obscured
Obscured
Public coordinates are shown as a random point within a 0.2 by 0.2 degree area that contains the true coordinates. The area forms a quadrilateral with exact dimensions dependent on the geographic location.
Private
Private
Coordinates are completely hidden from public maps. Good for private property, BUT it means that the observation can be from anywhere on planet earth.
Change your privacy settings
*Geoprivacy settings can be changed before or after an observation has been added. It needs to be set for each observation individually.
From your phone/new observations
From your phone/new observations
Open the iNaturalist app on your device
Tap “Location visibility”
Select “Obscured” or “Private”
Tap the green check mark at the bottom of the screen
From your computer/editing existing observations
From your computer/editing existing observations
Log in to your iNaturalist account
Click your observations
Select an observation
Click "edit"
From the edit screen, click on the change geoprivacy caret
Change to “Obscured” or “Private” in drop down menu
For more detailed instructions on how to change iNaturalist geoprivacy settings, download this presentation prepared by Minnesota Sea Grant or read the iNaturalist geoprivacy settings help page.
Beyond the Bioblitz
Getting jazzed up about doing community science with your patrons? We have several other ideas for you too consider.
What about a Biocube?
A biocube is a fun, informative, and manageable way of exploring the biodiversity in the world around you by focusing on a cubic foot of space. By looking closely and documenting the life in a small area, one can get a better understanding of how different ecosystems are structured and how they function. Check out this National Geographic guide to design a learning experience perfect for grades 4-12.
Are there other ways to engage my patrons in outdoor adventures with biodiversity?
Our resources page above has information about nature journaling, nature photography, phenology and more.
Photo Credits: Aquatic Sciences Center
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