Rocky Top BioBlitz
2023-10-12 09:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | University of TN- in front of Ayres Hall, 1403 Circle Dr, Knoxville, Tennessee, 37916, United States
Join us on the University of TN campus for the Rocky Top BioBlitz—a biological survey focused on identifying as many species as possible in a defined area over a short period of time—from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, October 12. Look for our tent outside Ayres Hall.

During the Rocky Top BioBlitz, participants will walk around campus looking for any kind of life: birds, insects, plants, and even fungi. They will document what they find by taking pictures and uploading them to an app called iNaturalist. The app is available for both iOS and Android devices.

Make sure to download the iNaturalist app before the event!

Get the iNaturalist app.

Download the app. Log in. Try it out.

ANDROID

iOS

Cane Creek Canyon BioBlitz
2023-10-13 18:00 - 2023-10-14 12:00 (America/New_York) | Cane Creek Canyon Nature Preserve, 251 Loop Rd, Tuscumbia, 35674, United States
Land Trust of North Alabama will host a Cane Creek Canyon Nature Preserve BioBlitz conducted by Discover Life in America (DLiA), a nonprofit organization out of Tennessee that specializes in biodiversity inventory and conservation, and the Tennessee Valley Authority.

A BioBlitz is a citizen science event where participants learn about the plants and animals in a specific place as they look for and document them for research purposes, and we’d like to invite you to be a part of ours! This event is for both newbies and experts as well as amateurs and professionals in the various fields of natural science.

Participants will move through the southern part of the preserve using the iNaturalist app to document observed flora and fauna. There will also be short presentations on a variety of natural science topics conducted by DLiA as well as the Land Trust, Cane Creek Canyon Nature Preserve regulars, and possibly students and faculty from University of North Alabama. These same people will serve as subject matter experts as participants document their findings.

Event Website

Location: Cane Creek Canyon Nature Preserve – 251 Loop Rd, Tuscumbia, AL 35674

What to Wear/Bring: Dress appropriately for the weather. This is a rain or shine event, though thunderstorms will cause cancelation. Set up your iNaturalist account in advance. Please note, there is limited (or no) cell service at the preserve.

Registration: Please register to join the bioblitz. You can sign up to attend one or both days. Please register for each day you plan to participate.

Friday, October 13 from 6-10:00 PM

Sign-up

Saturday, October 14 from 8 AM – 12 PM

Sign-up

High Elevation Pollinator 'Blitz
2024-05-04 08:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York)
Questions? Email our volunteer coordinator, Jaimie Matzko, jaimie@dlia.org

Register Here

Get the iNaturalist app.

Download the app. Log in. Try it out.

ANDROID

iOS

Cades Cove Firefly Survey
2024-06-24 19:00 - 23:00 (America/New_York)
Join us to survey fireflies in Cades Cove on June 24th from 7pm to 11pm EST, meeting at the Cades Cove Ranger Station. There are 19 species of fireflies in Great Smoky Mountains National Park! Volunteers will assist DLiA staff document firefly species in Cades Cove for the Smokies All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory.

This event will require volunteers to walk/hike through the fields in Cades Cove, after dark. No flashlights will be used when documenting and recording activity. No prior experience is required and families are welcome, although this volunteer activity is not recommended for children under the age of 14.

Questions? Email our volunteer coordinator, Jaimie Matzko, jaimie@dlia.org

Registration is now full!

Get the iNaturalist app.

Download the app. Log in. Try it out.

ANDROID

iOS

Cherokee Dam BioBlitz
2024-06-28 18:00 - 2024-06-29 12:00 (America/New_York)
Free, family friendly opportunity to learn about local animals and plants while contributing to science. Join Discover Life in America and the Tennessee Valley Authority at Cherokee Dam Park-Picnic Area in Jefferson City!

Two chances to ‘blitz!

Friday, June 28th from 6pm to 10pm: Join us for an evening of discoveries…we will continue in the dark, as we will set up a black light to monitor insect populations!

Saturday, June 29th from 8am to 12pm: The morning is a great time to look for birds and we will continue to look for other flora and fauna throughout the morning!

Register Here

Where?

Cherokee Dam Park-Picnic area

1015 Tva Pkwy, Jefferson City, TN 37760

What’s a bioblitz?

During a bioblitz, volunteers help document as many kinds of animals, plants, and other organisms as we can find in a specific area. It’s also an opportunity for you to be a community scientist, gathering real scientific data, while also learning about the local flora and fauna living around you. We will be walking the trails, looking for bugs, flowers, salamanders, and other living organisms. We’ll photograph them with our phones and post pictures to our iNaturalist project. We’ll have experts on hand to guide small groups point out interesting facts about the organisms we see, and teach you how to use the iNaturalist app.

What will we be doing?

Walking the trails, looking for bugs, flowers, salamanders, and anything else we can find. We’ll photograph them with our phones and post pictures to our iNaturalist project. It’ll be a fun morning of outdoor time in a gorgeous natural space and we’ll have experts on hand to guide small groups around the trail and point out interesting facts about the organisms we see.

Afterward you can see what kind of organisms we found by visiting the project on iNaturalist, which will be left up indefinitely. We encourage you to revisit the Loyston Point trails and post what you find! Making iNaturalist observations helps TVA know what’s out there so they can better manage and protect these public lands.

Before the event

Download iNaturalist to your phone (it’s free!)

Follow prompts in the app to create an iNaturalist account

Bring water and some snacks (we’ll also provide water)

Wear weather-appropriate clothing and sturdy shoes for hiking

Get the iNaturalist app.

Download the app. Log in. Try it out.

ANDROID

iOS

Free

BioBlitz at Seven Islands State Birding Park
2024-09-20 09:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York)
Join us for a BioBlitz on Friday, September 20 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. organized by Discover Life in America and Seven Islands State Birding Park. This is a free and family-friendly event to participate in community science and learn about nature!

🤳Learn how to use the free community science iNaturalist app, to document and identify life—anywhere in the world!

🔍Join guided hikes with expert naturalists from Discover Life in America and Seven Islands State Birding Park!

🌳Meet others in your community who also love to learn about nature!

Register Here

What’s a bioblitz?

During a bioblitz, volunteers help document as many kinds of animals, plants, and other organisms as we can find in a specific area. It’s also an opportunity for you to be a community scientist, gathering real scientific data, while also learning about the local flora and fauna living around you. We will be walking the trails, looking for bugs, flowers, salamanders, and other living organisms. We’ll photograph them with our phones and post pictures to our iNaturalist project. We’ll have experts on hand to guide small groups point out interesting facts about the organisms we see, and teach you how to use the iNaturalist app.

What will we be doing?

Walking the trails, looking for bugs, flowers, salamanders, and anything else we can find. We’ll photograph them with our phones and post pictures to our iNaturalist project. It’ll be a fun morning of outdoor time in a gorgeous natural space and we’ll have experts on hand to guide small groups around the trail and point out interesting facts about the organisms we see.

Afterward you can see what kind of organisms we found by visiting the project on iNaturalist, which will be left up indefinitely. We encourage you to revisit the Loyston Point trails and post what you find! Making iNaturalist observations helps TVA know what’s out there so they can better manage and protect these public lands.

Before the event

Download iNaturalist to your phone (it’s free!)

Follow prompts in the app to create an iNaturalist account

Bring water and some snacks (we’ll also provide water)

Wear weather-appropriate clothing and sturdy shoes for hiking

Get the iNaturalist app.

Download the app. Log in. Try it out.

ANDROID

iOS

Free

Continental MycoBlitz
2024-10-16 10:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | Information Kiosk Parking
Want to learn more about mushrooms and fungi in Great Smoky Mountains National Park and participate in community science?

Join us on Wednesday, October 16 to participate in a “MycoBlitz” to document and collect fungi for DNA sequencing for the Smokies All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory and the Fall North America Continental MycoBlitz!

Register on our website: dlia.org/volunteering

Questions? Email our volunteer coordinator, Jaimie Matzko, jaimie@dlia.org

Register Here

Where? 1316 Cherokee Orchard Road, Gatlinburg TN 37738

Discover Life in America office at Twin Creeks (see google map directions below)

Little Cedar Mountain BioBlitz
2025-05-16 19:00 - 22:00 (America/New_York)
Free, family friendly opportunity to learn about local animals and plants while contributing to science. Join Discover Life in America and the Tennessee Valley Authority at Little Cedar Mountain in Jasper, TN.

Two chances to ‘blitz!

Friday, May 16, 7pm to 10pm Central: Join us for an evening of discoveries…we will continue in the dark, as we will set up a black light to monitor insect populations!

Saturday, May 17, 8am to 11am Central: The morning is a great time to look for birds and we will continue to look for other flora and fauna throughout the morning!

REGISTER HERE

Where?

TVA’s Little Cedar Mountain Trail in Jasper, TN

What’s a bioblitz?

During a bioblitz, volunteers help document as many kinds of animals, plants, and other organisms as we can find in a specific area. It’s also an opportunity for you to be a community scientist, gathering real scientific data, while also learning about the local flora and fauna living around you. We will be walking the trails, looking for bugs, flowers, salamanders, and other living organisms. We’ll photograph them with our phones and post pictures to our iNaturalist project. We’ll have experts on hand to guide small groups point out interesting facts about the organisms we see, and teach you how to use the iNaturalist app.

What will we be doing?

Walking the trails, looking for bugs, flowers, salamanders, and anything else we can find. We’ll photograph them with our phones and post pictures to our iNaturalist project. It’ll be a fun morning of outdoor time in a gorgeous natural space and we’ll have experts on hand to guide small groups around the trail and point out interesting facts about the organisms we see.

Afterward you can see what kind of organisms we found by visiting the project on iNaturalist, which will be left up indefinitely. We encourage you to revisit the Loyston Point trails and post what you find! Making iNaturalist observations helps TVA know what’s out there so they can better manage and protect these public lands.

Before the event

Download iNaturalist to your phone (it’s free!)

Follow prompts in the app to create an iNaturalist account

Bring water and some snacks (we’ll also provide water)

Wear weather-appropriate clothing and sturdy shoes for hiking

Get the iNaturalist app.

Download the app. Log in. Try it out.

ANDROID

iOS

Black Lighting for "Bugs"
2025-07-18 20:00 - 23:00 (America/New_York)
Black Lighting for “Bugs”…and other nocturnal insects!

When? July 18 from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Where? Bradley Fork Trailhead at Smokemont Campground

Description: Join us to help document nocturnal life in Great Smoky Mountains National Park! We will also spend time at dusk using a bat detector to monitor for bat activity in the area! We will also spend time at dusk using a bat detector to monitor for bat activity in the area!

Why use black lights?

Many insects can see ultraviolet light, which has shorter wavelengths than light visible to the human eye. For this reason, a black light will attract different insects than a regular incandescent light.

We will be using the iNaturalist app, to take photos and share to the community science platform. No prior experience necessary!

Location:

Volunteer with DLiA

Volunteers have contributed significantly to the success of the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI) since we began, through field work, education and outreach, and financial support. DLiA could not continue to function without the help of our dedicated volunteers and supporters. Thank you!

Muscle Shoals Rockpile Trail BioBlitz
2026-06-12 19:00 - 22:00 (America/Chicago) | TVA Muscle Shoals Rockpile Trail, 663 Rock Pile Rd, Muscle Shoals, 35661, United States
Free, family-friendly opportunity to learn about local animals and plants while contributing to science! Join Discover Life in America and the Tennessee Valley Authority on the Muscle Shoals Rockpile Trail.

Two chances to ‘blitz!

Friday, June 12 from 7pm to 10pm Central: Join us for an evening of discoveries…we will continue in the dark, as we will set up a black light to monitor insect populations!

Saturday, June 13 from 8am to 11am Central: The morning is a great time to look for birds and we will continue to look for other flora and fauna throughout the morning!

Where?

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