2025 Bioblitz

Are you curious to learn about biodiversity and help scientists understand the plants and animals at Great Basin National Park? Mark your calendars for our 2025 BioBlitz: Thursday, June 19 through Saturday, June 21. This year’s BioBlitz will be on bees!

Each year Great Basin National Park invites the community to come together as scientists and study a specific taxa–animal or plant–documenting species in a variety of habitats over a short time period. Our sixteenth BioBlitz at Great Basin National Park will focus on Bumble Bees, hosted by Xerces Society and following protocols established by the Bumble Bee Atlas. During this event, volunteers will learn how to safely capture, identify, and photograph bumble bees. Volunteers will also be able to continue contributing to bumble bee counts through ongoing research by claiming grid cells in Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming.

Previous BioBlitz have focused on bats, forest health, reptiles, lichen, and Hemiptera (true bugs), and more - providing new insights and observations of the ecology of Great Basin National Park. This snapshot is invaluable to scientists and staff who seek to increase understanding and appreciation of animal activity and landscapes in the Great Basin. For example, during the 2021 BioBlitz, 14 species of reptiles were identified and documented on iNaturalist including a variety of lizards and snakes. 65 new species of beetles were added to the Park’s knowledge, thanks to the 2018 BioBlitz. In 2017, species of lichens were found in the Park that had only previously been found in Arctic or Antarctic areas. Learn more about the observations and work our community has done on the Great Basin Bioblitz page.

This year’s schedule for the BioBlitz begins with afternoon talks, presentations and practice on Thursday, June 19. The following day, Friday June 20, will focus on collecting, identifying and photographing bees throughout the Park as well as entering data. Saturday June 21 will wrap up with any remaining data entry and final words. Participants are encouraged to enjoy the Park on the weekend or head home for more adventures and bumble bee counts. Free camping will be available in Grey Cliffs Campground for participants on the nights of Thursday, June 19 and Friday, June 20.

Please register soon at Bumble Bee Atlas BioBlitz at Great Basin National Park so that the organizers can prepare supplies and share updates for BioBlitz 2025 . Space is limited.

To learn more about bumble bees in advance, check out these resources: Mountain States | Bumble Bee Atlas. Participants will also be encouraged to use iNaturalist for documentations.

We look forward to seeing you at the Park in June!

Photograph- Bombus centralis, iNaturalist, Great Basin bumble bee