Nature Conservancy of Canada challenges shutterbugs to photograph nature this weekend

The Nature Conservancy of Canada is encouraging people to photograph nature during the August long weekend – and send them the photos.

Backyard BioBlitz begins Friday and ends Monday. Last year, the group received about 35,000 responses to their call for Canadians to photograph plants, animals and fungi.

To participate, register on the Nature Conservancy of Canada website and download the iNaturalist app.

“The app will automatically … geolocate where they’re at so that saves them some time," said Andrew Holland, a spokesperson with the Nature Conservancy of Canada.

"If they’re not sure what kind of tree or shrub or bird they’re seeing or beetle, there’s a drop-down menu in the app and it has some lookalike or mimics."

Holland said participating in the Backyard BioBlitz helps scientists and researchers gather information. For example, it can let them know if a bird species has been knocked off its normal migration pattern.

“From an invasive species perspective, it’s been helpful for a beetle called Emerald Ash Borer," said Holland.

"It’s destroyed trees from Nova Scotia through Manitoba, many parts of Ontario."

Roxane Filion, a nature enthusiast in Timmins, enjoys using the iNaturalist app.

“The more you submit to iNaturalist and learn what those species do for the environment, the more you think wow this is amazing," Filion said.

"Even if you don’t know what this little critter is or what this butterfly is, take a photo and put it in the project and people are actually going to go weigh in on it to help you identify it.”

More than 6,500 participants logged observations last year.