Parks and Rec invites people to learn more about pollinators with an app

Parks and Recreation is inviting people during the month of September to participate in something new — a BioBlitz community event — to create an online snapshot of the variety of pollinator wildlife that can be found in Wrangell.

It’s part of Parks for Pollinators BioBlitz, a five-year-old nationwide campaign hosted by the National Recreation and Park Association that asks people to take photos of pollinators and upload them to the website or iNaturalist app.

According to information on NRPA’s Parks for Pollinators website, the goal is to raise awareness and community involvement in the pollinator crisis across the United States, as pollinator species have declined in numbers, become endangered or even gone extinct due to the loss of natural food supplies and habitat.

More than 75% of the world’s flowering plants and 35% of the world’s food crops rely on pollinators, according to the organization.

The national campaign’s goal is to educate the public that creating and restoring native habitats in public spaces is good for pollinators and plants. Local agencies all over the United States will host Parks for Pollinators BioBlitz events throughout the month.

“It’s the first time we’ve hosted this,” said Devyn Johnson, recreation coordinator for Wrangell Parks and Recreation. “We just thought it was a great idea and wanted to hop on board.”

Contributors can make observations on their own using the iNaturalist app or join a group event. “It’s super easy,” Johnson said. “Download the app and create a login, and then it’ll link you to the Wrangell Parks and Rec page.”

Observations and photos must take place during the month of September. Pollinator species include bats, beetles, flies, ants, bees, wasps, sawflies, butterflies, moths, hummingbirds and, of course, the plants they pollinate. Any observation made by participants will count during the BioBlitz event. With the iNaturalist app, simply take a picture of a pollinator or plant, and the online community will help identify the species.

In addition to addressing the pollinator crisis, Johnson also hopes to get people more in touch with wildlife, discovering the various kinds of flora and fauna outside their front door. “Our goal is to get people outside in nature and this is one way to get them to do that,” she said.

For more information, participants can visit the iNaturalist web page for Wrangell Parks and Recreation at tinyurl.com/38xfb9fn or the NRPA website at https://nrpa.org/BioBlitz/, or go to the iNaturalist app.