Bioblitz 2026

Join us for the 2nd Lakeshore Nature Preserve bioblitz!

The goal is to get a snapshot of the overall biodiversity of this 300-acre campus natural area. Everyone is welcome, from the excited beginner to the experienced expert. The more participants, the more biodiversity we will be able to find!

Date: September 26, 2026 (rain date September 27)

Time: 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Location: Lakeshore Nature Preserve; Welcome station at entrance to Picnic Point (2000 University Bay Drive, Madison WI 53705) – Getting Here and Parking

Scheduled events: You are welcome to participate anytime throughout the event! If you are looking for a more structured experience or to learn from others, please join one of our scheduled bioblitz walks and activities!

Cost: Free!

REGISTER HERE for email reminders and updates

Frequently asked questions

1. What is a bioblitz?
   Think of a bioblitz as a nature scavenger hunt where scientists, naturalists, students, and community members come together to identify as many species as possible (plants, animals, fungi, and other organisms) within a particular area over a set time period.
2. How can I get involved?
   Register here. By registering, you will receive an event schedule, updates, including weather cancellations, and a summary of the results! You can attend in-person by exploring on your own, joining a guided walk/survey, volunteering at the welcome station, or participate virtually by identifying observations on iNaturalist. Please reach out to lakeshorepreservebioblitz@gmail.com for more info.
3. What if I forget to register prior to September 26?
   You can register on the day of the event! Visit the welcome station at the entrance to Picnic Point (2000 University Bay Dr). Any iNaturalist observations taken in the Preserve on the day of the event will be counted toward the project, regardless of registration status.
4. What activities are happening during the bioblitz?
   You are welcome to record observations on your own or join one of the scheduled bioblitz walks and activities.
5. Why are we doing a bioblitz?
   The Lakeshore Nature Preserve’s 2023 Master Plan provides a clear direction and recommendations for its native habitats. We want to collect baseline data, both to help guide ecological restoration and management of the land and as part of an effort by the Office of Sustainability to understand what species live on the UW-Madison campus.
6. How will participants record what they find?
   We want to make it easy for you to join in the fun! Participants can record species in four different ways.
   a) We are primarily recording observations using iNaturalist. Get help signing up and using iNaturalist.
   b) Birders can submit checklists to eBird. Get help signing up and using eBird.
   c) Want to go “old school”? We will also accept handwritten notes!
   d) Some organisms may require microscopic characters and/or specimens for species-level identification. If you need to collect specimens, please let us know in the registration form.
7. If I already use the Seek app will that work for the bioblitz? What is the difference between Seek and iNaturalist?
   Unfortunately, Seek alone will not work for the bioblitz. Seek houses its data only within the phone of the user and doesn’t share it without that user’s permission, and thus the Preserve would not have access to the observations. Seek does have a functionality that allows posting to iNaturalist through Seek, but it must be done at the time of the Seek observation. Observations that are posted to iNaturalist via Seek will count for the bioblitz! The difference between Seek and iNaturalist is that both are produced by the same nonprofit organization, but have different interfaces and goals. Seek is largely produced to help people become interested in the natural world and doesn’t aid in scientific efforts. To make identifications, Seek draws on the iNaturalist dataset. iNaturalist is for everyone, regardless of skill level, and has more community engagement and contributes to scientific efforts (like this bioblitz!).
8. What resources will be available?
   Some identification tools will be available and can be used at the welcome station including a dissecting microscope, field guides, and hand lenses. Feel free to bring your own tools or resources.
9. What if I can’t participate on September 26 but still want to help?
   You can help identify observations on iNaturalist after the event. Visit the iNaturalist Lakeshore Nature Preserve Bioblitz project.
10. How long is the bioblitz?
    The bioblitz will run from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on September 26, 2026. If your group of species needs to be observed before 6:00 a.m. or after 9:00 p.m., let us know on the registration form.
11. What if it rains on September 26?
    The rain date is September 27. If it rains both days, we will cancel and try again at another time.
12. Can I bring my kids?
    Yes! Everyone is welcome to participate, including youth under age 18 with a supervising parent or guardian.
13. Can I bring my dog?
    We prefer you leave pets at home for the bioblitz, but leashed dogs are permitted in the Lakeshore Nature Preserve. Owners must pick up and properly dispose of waste.
14. How can I find out what species were found?
    If you register for the event, we will send you the results. We will also post the results on this webpage.
15. What if I have limited mobility?  
    The welcome station will be located at the entrance to Picnic Point, just across the road from UW Lot 130. The main path out to the tip of  Picnic Point and the Temin Lakeshore Path are accessible with paved or crushed, packed limestone surfaces. Many other areas are accessible for limited-mobility visitors: Muir Knoll, Observatory Hill Overlook, the Class of 1918 Marsh, and others. Check out our getting here and parking page for close-in parking. Please contact us with questions about accessibility.

Do you have more questions about the bioblitz? Contact us at lakeshorepreservebioblitz@gmail.com