Are you interested in learning more about how to identify native plants? Or maybe you are more interested in birds or butterflies? Did you ever wonder how many species of plants and animals inhabit Newton’s Parks and Conservation Areas? Maybe you have developed skills identifying ferns or pollinators and you want to share that knowledge with others? Or perhaps you are just curious to learn more about nature in Newton?
If this piques your interest, join us for an upcoming Newton BioBlitz event! We will spend a few hours surveying plants and animals, learning, and posting our observations to iNaturalist. You do not need to be an experienced naturalist or expert to participate. Families are welcome.
Read more about the BioBlitz effort in Newton in our Summer 2023 Newton Conservators Newsletter in an article by Jon Regosin – Newton Biological Survey — Surveying Plants and
Animals in our Parks and Conservation Lands.Â
This event was originally scheduled for Saturday, 6/17, 1-4 pm but was rescheduled due to rain.
Learn how to use the iNaturalist app to take pictures for documenting what lives in Cold Spring Park. Download this free and useful identification app to your phone or tablet beforehand from the Apple App Store for iOS or the Google Play Store for Android.  Here is an interesting article on iNaturalist from our Fall 2019 Newton Conservators Newsletter. The iNaturalist survey of Newton Parks can be found online HERE which includes the following areas: Webster Woods, Cold Spring Park, Edmands Park, Flowed Meadow, Nahanton Park, Dolan Pond Conservation Area, and Kennard Park.  Each of these areas has a significant number of existing iNaturalist observations. Any observations done in these areas will automatically be included in the Newton Survey.
To Register for any of these BioBlitz events, click here! Registration is encouraged but not required. Below is the current BioBlitz schedule for this summer and fall:
- Saturday, June 17, 1-4 pm – Cold Spring Park BioBlitz
- Sunday, July 16, 9-Noon – Webster Woods (west) BioBlitz
- Wednesday, July 26, 4-6 pm – Dolan Pond (Dip-netting for aquatic invertebrates)
- Sunday, September 10, 9-Noon – Nahanton Park BioBlitz
- Saturday, September 23, 10 am – 1 pm – Hammond Woods
(Late season pollinators and more)
Who knows what may turn up at Cold Spring Park? Maybe a black bear like the one reported on iNaturalist nearby on Sunday, June 11, 2023?
Leader is Jon Regosin, former director of Mass Wildlife.
