BioBlitz: Nature in the Neighborhood

Wildlight is known for being a “Town in Nature.” But what does that really mean? Is Wildlight truly surrounded by 1,200 acres of preserved land? Is it normal to see wildlife right in your backyard? Should you document those encounters? The short and simple answer to all of these questions is “yes.” Fortunately, Wildlight offers residents environmental sessions called “BioBlitzes” in partnership with the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). These engaging classes teach both kids and adults how to identify and survey animal, insect, and plant species throughout our community.

What is a BioBlitz?

A BioBlitz gives people of all ages the opportunity to learn about and properly document the natural environment around them. These sessions provide continuing education for anyone interested in the importance of conservation areas like those found throughout Wildlight. They also cover the measures communities take to keep residential green spaces both sustainable and beautiful—and how we can all work together to help maintain them for generations to come.

As one of Wildlight’s trusted sustainability partners, UF/IFAS facilitated the session with a short class on pollinators (supported by their extensive pollinator research), how to classify and document them using apps like iNaturalist, and what steps to take if a plant is identified as invasive.

It’s important to remember that not everything growing in our Wildlight yards belongs there (looking at you, weeds).

Let the discovery begin 

With a lively group of homeschool families and curious onlookers, the scavenger hunt began at Pioneer Park—a favorite spot for critters cooling off by the pond. Down at the water’s edge, participants were encouraged to search for wildlife. Some spotted Island Apple Snails, while others discovered the soft purple blooms of Muhly Grass and the bright yellow Lavender Tickseed. Not sure what these look like? No sweat! Visit the Wildlight iNaturalist page to see these discoveries and more than 1,758 other nature observations. Wildlife is truly all around us here. 

Although many participants had never heard of a BioBlitz before, they quickly became immersed in the experience and loved learning more about the place they call home. For 90% of the crowd, this was their first BioBlitz—but by the end, they were all iNaturalist pros and enthusiastic nature explorers.

More to come (and explore) 

With 1,200 acres of conserved natural space, Wildlight offers countless places to explore, learn from, and protect. And that means more BioBlitz sessions are on the horizon. We’re planning seasonal classes, each dedicated to a unique spot within Wildlight and highlighting what makes it special. Keep an eye on our events calendar for upcoming dates and be sure to reserve your spot.

A little birdie once said “a video is worth a thousand words,” so please enjoy this short clip put together by Marice Nazzaro, from our very first Wildlight BioBlitz.