Plan
- Where will you learn more about invasive species you might encounter?
- Where will you do your bio-blitz?
- How will you track the species that you find (invasive or otherwise)? An app like iNaturalist? Photos?
Do
- A bio-blitz brings people together to survey the plants and animals in a certain area. Try running your own bio-blitz that focuses on searching for pests that might harm plants!
- Use CFIA’s Plant Pest Cards to learn about different pests that might be common in your area.
- Plan your bio-blitz – you could do it over the span of a meeting or even a weekend camp.
- Track all the species that you find – even plants that are not currently hosts for invasive species. Knowing where certain plants are can help in the future if invasive pests target them.
- Use an app like iNaturalist to keep track of what you see. If you find any evidence of invasive pests, make sure to report it to CFIA (Canadian Food Inspection Agency).
- You can also specifically look at trees in your area, rather than all plants. Track the health of your local trees using the Community Science Tree Check Form.
Review
- Did you find any evidence of pest activity?
- Will you do another bio-blitz in the future to follow up on what you have found?
- If you were to do another bio-blitz in the future, how could you make it bigger or involve more people?
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Remember to submit your activities on our Scouts for Sustainability Take Action Map
Keep it Simple
Start small — survey your meeting area or neighbourhood. Look for evidence of pest activity or host plants in your area. Report your findings using a citizen science app or by contacting CFIA.
Take it Further
Plan a pest-survey bio-blitz for your community. Plan a day where everyone in your community can perform a bio-blitz of your neighbourhood. Have people sign up in advance so that you can share information with them about what to look for and what to report, as well as divide your community so that the whole area is covered.
