At our Earth Day Celebration on April 27th, Bloedel Reserve made its debut in the City Nature Challenge, an annual, global, community science competition to document urban biodiversity. Kitsap County placed 146th worldwide with 3,792 observations, tripling last year’s count of 1,209. Bloedel Reserve participants contributed significantly to that number, logging 588 observations across 248 species!
Among the standout participants, volunteer Riley Evad led the charge for Kitsap County, recording an impressive 336 observations and identifying 153 species. Within Bloedel Reserve itself, horticulturist Christine McCullough recorded 68 observations and 48 species.
The observations at Bloedel spanned a wide range of taxa, including 19 bird species, 18 insect species, 13 fungi and lichen species, 3 amphibian species, and…184 plant species! The most frequently observed species included the Northern red belt fungus (Fomitopsis mounceae), our native bleeding heart (Dicentra formosa), and the Menzies’ tree moss (Leucolepis acanthoneura).
Bloedel Reserve congratulates all participants and looks forward to continuing its efforts in promoting conservation and stewardship through community science events like the City Nature Challenge.
