Biodiversity Month 2023

During September, Bayside City Council is celebrating Biodiversity Month by partnering with several of our neighbouring councils to hold the Biodiversity Blitz 2023 and our volunteer run Wildflower Walks.

Wildflower Walks

Plan your Sunday Spring days around these fantastic wildflower walks – a collaboration between Council and our Friends groups. Participating reserves are listed below:

• Bay Rd Heathland Sanctuary
• Gramatan Ave Heathland Sanctuary
• Cheltenham Park
• Donald McDonald Reserve
• Balcombe Park Reserve
• Long Hollow Heathland Sanctuary

For further information on times and dates, details are listed here: Banksia Bulletin.

These events are held in bushland reserves on narrow unsealed paths, so appropriate footwear must be worn, and accessibility may be limited. 

Biodiversity Blitz 2023

The competition is running between all participating councils on who can record the most species. Participating is easy, all you need is your smart phone or a camera.

Join the Bayside City Council’s Biodiversity Blitz team from the 1-30 September by simply heading outdoors to snap photos of flora and fauna in Bayside and then upload to iNaturalist. You'll be contributing to community science and showing the world the amazing biodiversity Bayside has to offer.

How to join

Step 1 - Download the free iNaturalist app and register.

Step 2 - Join the Biodiversity Blitz 2023- Bayside City Council Project 

Step 3 - From Friday 1 September start recording your observations.

The iNaturalist app is easy to use and there is a community on iNaturalist that can help you identify your observations. It is a great way to learn about local plants and animals and get involved in local conservation. 

iNaturalist for Beginners Webinar

This is an introduction to iNaturalist for those who want to participate in the multi-council Biodiversity Blitz challenge. Hosted by Yarra Ranges Council and presented by ecologist and entomologist, Luis Mata.

This webinar covered:
• Signing up to iNaturalist
• Using the phone app versus logging into the website
• How to join your council's 2023 bioblitz project
• How to take photos and upload them to iNaturalist via your phone or computer
• How to identify what you observed
• Q&A

The recording is now available for viewing below.

Community Champions Webinar

During this free webinar on iNaturalist, you will hear from community members across participating councils, about their experience with iNaturalist and passion for recording local fauna and flora. 

When: Thursday 29 August 2023, 7pm

Guides 

There are 2 guides available to support younger folks in participating in Biodiversity Blitz, plus a iNaturalist video to watch.