Here are some fun activities to do in your backyard while self-isolating for COVID-19. Look for plants, frogs, birds and bees! Citizen science is a way for you to learn more about plants and animals. For families, it teaches about science, the natural world and gets everyone outside! The data gives biologists and land planners valuable information about local ecosystems. For example, check out these amazing migration maps from eBird.
For many of these programs you don’t have to be an expert. Just following these steps:
- Go outside and observe nature.
- Upload your observations to an app or web platform.
- Repeat!
Bird watching
We have an incredible diversity of birds in the Kootenays. Ebird is the most popular citizen science platform in the world. The platform has more than 100 million bird sightings contributed each year by eBirders around the world. It is easy to use and has lots of resources to help you learn birds. Check out this post about birds in your backyard to get started.
For some inspiration for your kids or grandkids- check out Gaelen Schnare’s blog. He is a 13-year-old birder from Nelson. He has led tours at the Creston Valley Bird Festival, and is a regular contributor to eBird.
I’ll add more citizen science projects in the next few weeks about plants, bumblebees and amphibians. Happy birding!