Help us explore America's oldest wildlife refuge: Lake Merritt! Located right in the heart of Oakland, you probably know Lake Merritt as a great place for a walk or a weekend cookout, but it's also full of wildlife. We're going to try and see how many species we can find in and around this Oakland landmark, so come out and join us!

A “bioblitz” is when people converge in one place for a certain amount of time to document the species in area, creating a biodiversity snapshot of an area. These bioblitzes can help monitor changes in species and ecosystem health over time.

We’ll be using the iNaturalist app to log our observations so they’ll be immediately available to the public and anyone else who wants to see what lives at the lake. You can download the app for free on your smartphone through Android Google Play or the iPhone App Store. If you’d like to get some pointers on how to use the iNaturalist app, there will be a free training at the Oakland Main Library on 7/14 from 6-7:30 pm. Click here to learn more about the 7/14 training!

This bioblitz will focus on the north side of Lake Merritt. Following this bioblitz, there will be 2 more iNaturalist 101 trainings at the Oakland Main Library, and a second bioblitz that will focus on the south side of the lake!

You do not need to come to all 3 iNat 101 workshops, as the content for all 3 will be generally the same. The iNat workshops are not required to attend the bioblitzes, though they are recommended.

The full schedule is as follows- click on the event links for more details.

Lake Merritt and the Rotary Nature Center are very accessible via public transportation and bicycling. If you drive and enter through the kiosk on Bellevue Ave, parking is $5 on the weekends and will be limited since Lake Merritt is a popular destination spot. If you’re driving, carpooling is encouraged!

This is a FREE event! $20 suggested donation.

Please RSVP using the form below. Drop-ins welcome!