“If there is a silver lining in our current situation, it may be that this time of physical distancing represents an opportunity to renew our connection to nature. In every community across Canada, birds are still migrating, wildflowers are blooming and many animals are preparing for their next generation. This time offers an opportunity to learn about the extraordinary wildlife that shares our country and communities.”
What’s living in your backyard?
Get ready for a learning adventure like no other during our first ever VIRTUAL Land Art BioBlitz. From the tallest of trees to the smallest of insects, you’re invited to explore what’s living in your very own backyard.
Following the guidelines for safe practices during the COVID-19 pandemic, we will be offering our Land Art BioBlitz in a virtual format this year. The workshops and hands-on experiences can be done respecting physical distancing protocols. So if you have a backyard or nearby forest, then fire up your computer and help us celebrate the beauty and diversity of the natural world.
All registrants will be entered to win a copy of Cooking at Wintergreen, 2nd edition—a cookbook filled with tasty recipes from the Wintergreen kitchen, including those in the videos as part of Wild Edibles Series (below), that you can easily replicate at home.
Schedule — Build Your Own BioBlitz
Choose-your-own-adventure—the experience you have is entirely up to you! You are encouraged to mix and match the various offerings for a good old-fashioned outdoor (and indoor) adventure. Click on the icon below to be directed straight to that offering or keep scrolling.
Live Streams (Zoom)
Click the title or ‘+’ beside the time for a description of the session and video links. Click the Zoom link to join the live session at the start time. You may also use your phone to call in and listen to the session. Click here for the dial-in numbers. Use the Meeting ID below to join.
FRIDAY June 5
9:45 AM EST Welcome and Opening Ceremony (10 minutes)
Rena Upitis, Wintergreen Studios
ZOOM LINK: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86951648624
MEETING ID: 869 5164 8624Join Rena as she welcomes you to the Virtual Land Art BioBlitz and shares how to participate in this 3-day event. Rena will be joined by event partner James Pagé from the Canadian Wildlife Federation.
10:00 AM EST Reptiles & Amphibians of Ontario (45 minutes)
Kenny Ruelland, Reptile and Amphibian Advocacy
ZOOM LINK: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86292642821
MEETING ID: 862 9264 2821Kenny will show you his collection of live reptiles and amphibians at home, and give tips on how to find herps in the field with ethics at the forefront.
11:00 AM EST Getting Started on iNaturalist (45 minutes)
Geoff Carter, iNaturalist enthusiast
ZOOM LINK: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83521346011
MEETING ID: 835 2134 6011iNaturalist is a worldwide app that is used to document the location of species of all kinds. It is a useful tool for a bioblitz or every day! This workshop will go over how to get the most out of this app, and how we will be using it during this year's Virtual Land Art Bioblitz.
1:00 PM EST Backyard Foraging with Wild Foragers Society (45 minutes)
Lee Earl, Wild Foragers Society
ZOOM LINK: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89204467635
MEETING ID: 892 0446 7635Join Lee to learn some foraging basics and how to start with safe and respectful foraging practices! She will explore 5 common plants and share some ideas and inspiration for how you might enjoy them as snacks, spices, and more! There will be a Q&A for anyolne interested in connecting live.
2:00 PM EST The (Humming)birds and the Bees: A Teenager’s Step by Step Guide to Changing the World (45 minutes)
Jason Liao
ZOOM LINK: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84235340055
MEETING ID: 842 3534 0055Learn all ahout the importance of bees (and other pollinators), why they’re in danger, and some ways we can help them. Jason will be sharing his personal experiences as a teenaged social entrepreneur, and discuss how youth can make a big difference in the issues they care about — while having tons of fun!
3:00 PM EST Lessons in a Backpack (45 minutes)
Kelly McGann, Frontenac Arch Biosphere Network
ZOOM LINK: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87304679713
MEETING ID: 873 0467 9713View a pre-recorded video on the Lessons in a Backpack program and then join Kelly for a live Q&A. Learn how to use the lessons at home to get your young learners exploring the natural world around them.
SATURDAY June 6
9:45 AM EST Welcome (10 minutes)
Rena Upitis, Wintergreen Studios
ZOOM LINK: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83355485421
MEETING ID: 833 5548 5421
Rena will welcome you to Day Two of the Virtual Land Art BioBlitz. You will hear a schedule overview and learn how to participate in the event.
10:00 AM EST A Taste of Virtual Forest Therapy (50 minutes)
MAXIMUM 100 PARTICIPANTS
Stana Luxford Oddie
ZOOM LINK: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81630330407
MEETING ID: 816 3033 0407
Stana is a certified ANFT Forest Therapy Guide, Mentor and Trainer. She will offer a taste of Forest Therapy from the comfort of your own backyard, porch or by a window. You need a charged device, comfortable clothing, weather appropriate clothing, something to sit on, tea and a snack for the end.
11:00 AM EST Wildlife Rehabilitation in Spring (45 minutes)
Leah Birmingham, Sandy Pines Wildlife Centre
ZOOM LINK: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84271152429
MEETING ID: 842 7115 2429
Go on a live virtual tour of Sandy Pines Wildlife Centre and meet wildlife patients currently in care. You’ll learn about common injuries and illnesses that bring animals to the centre and what you can do to keep animals safe in your community. A live Q&A will follow the tour.
12:00 PM EST Mukbang with Rena Upitis (30 minutes)
MAXIMUM 100 PARTICIPANTS
Rena Upitis, Wintergreen Studios
ZOOM LINK: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82210740890
MEETING ID: 822 1074 0890
Have a virtual lunch with Rena Upitis! Ask her questions about operating an off-grid wilderness retreat centre, cordwood construction, wild edible cooking, and her newly planned venture into shipping container building.
1:00 PM EST Outdoor Survival Skills 101 (45 minutes)
Walt Sepic, Firefly Adventures
ZOOM LINK: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81051186512
MEETING ID: 810 5118 6512
A.k.a. "how not to die in the wilderness"! Walt will demonstrate how to build a debris shelter in the woods to protect you from the elements and a fire for warmth and signalling.
2:00 PM EST Found Sound: Making Music Using Natural Materials (45 minutes)
Jesse Stewart, [Musician/Artist/Educator][4]
ZOOM LINK: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85094016781
MEETING ID: 850 9401 6781
Jesse will discuss and demonstrate some of the ways in which he makes music using natural materials.
3:00 PM EST What’s Buzzing at Wintergreen Studios!? (45 minutes)
Alex Pedersen, Limestone Beekeepers’ Guild
ZOOM LINK: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82497327245
MEETING ID: 824 9732 7245
If you want to know what the buzz about bees is all about, join resident beekeeper Alex Pedersen for a live Q&A as she shares what’s happening in the hives at Wintergreen Studios.
SUNDAY June 7
9:45 AM EST Welcome (10 minutes)
Rena Upitis, [Wintergreen Studios][0] [0]: https://www.wintergreenstudios.com/ ZOOM LINK: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86557006899
MEETING ID: 865 5700 6899
Rena will welcome you to the final day of the Virtual Land Art BioBlitz. You will hear a schedule overview and learn how to participate in the event.
10:00 AM EST The Canada-Wide Buzz about BEE CITY CANADA (45 minutes)
Shelly Candel, [Bee City Canada][1] [1]: https://beecitycanada.org/
ZOOM LINK: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83605613424
MEETING ID: 836 0561 3424
What's all the buzz about Bee City Canada? Find out what you can do to help protect pollinators. Learn more about Bee Schools, Bee Cities, a Bee Golf Course, and the Pollinator Protector Pledge.
11:00 AM EST Confessions of a Nature Photographer (45 minutes)
Bryan Scholes
ZOOM LINK: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88416082782
MEETING ID: 884 1608 2782
Bryan will share stories about his path to becoming an active nature photographer. Although he takes photos of anything in the natural world, he will focus his talk on bird photography in the southeastern Ontario area. There will be a bit about the gear, some techniques and things to think about, and what he is working at to improve his photography, especially in creating artistic shots of critters and plants in their natural settings.
1:00 PM EST Healing the Earth — Healing Ourselves (45 minutes)
MAXIMUM 100 PARTICIPANTS
Kevin Fell, HOZA! Creative Mediation
Join Kevin Fell, personal and societal development facilitator, in a moderated conversation about: How we perceive the natural world, and our relationship with it, to be currently altered or changing. If you are interested in strategies for finding more peace, happiness and balance in your life, Kevin offers practical guidance and resources at this unique time in our personal journeys and collective history.
2:00 PM EST The Frontenac Arch (45 minutes)
Megan Quinn, Nature Conservancy of Canada
ZOOM LINK: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83138244714
MEETING ID: 831 3824 4714
The Frontenac Arch is not just a ridge of granite that connects the Canadian Shield and the Adirondack Mountains, it’s an important, ecologically sensitive area. Join the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s Coordinator of Conservation Biology for Eastern Ontario, Megan Quinn, to learn what makes the Frontenac Arch so special. The webinar will cover the ecology of the Frontenac Arch, the species that call it home, what the Nature Conservancy of Canada is doing to protect it, and what you can do at home to help this extraordinary local biosphere reserve thrive.
3:00 PM EST The House the Spirit Builds (45 minutes)
Lorna Crozier, Poet
Peter Coffman, Photographer
Diane Laundy, Photographer
ZOOM LINK: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85200788373
MEETING ID: 852 0078 8373
The House the Spirit Builds explores human-crafted and natural landscapes at Wintergreen through poetry and photography. Poet Lorna Crozier will read a selection of poems that are paired with photographs by Peter Coffman and Diane Laundy. While acknowledging the loss and suffering that infuse our days, the poems and photographs invite us to expand our sense of wonder, our sense that all things are connected, no matter where we live. After live streaming the poems and photos, participants will be invited to join a Q&A with all three artists.
4:00 PM EST Closing Ceremony (15 minutes)
Jess Pelow, Rena Upitis, and Monica Capovilla, [Wintergreen Studios][0]
ZOOM LINK: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83025166046
MEETING ID: 830 2516 6046
Join the Virtual Land Art BioBlitz planning team for a look at the live species count on iNaturalist and a few closing words.
iNaturalist Observations
Join the Virtual Land Art BioBlitz 2020 Project!
We will use iNaturalist to document all of the species that participants identify. To open a free account and join the growing community of backyard biologists, visit iNaturalist.ca. And don’t forget to join the Virtual Land Art BioBlitz 2020 project to contribute your observations.
View the video tutorial to see how to make an observation with your phone and add it to the species count.
⇑ Back to Schedule Menu
Land Art Activities
Enjoy these activities during the Land Art BioBlitz and for the rest of the summer! The activities relating to bees are courtesy of Bee City Canada. Upload an image of what you make on Instagram! @wintergreenstudios #buildyourownbioblitz
Outdoor Activities
Find out what’s living in your own backyard! The outdoor scavenging activity was created by Bee City Canada. Learn more about Bee City and the Pollinator Pledge during the live streaming session on Sunday June 7 at 10 am (see above).
Pre-Recorded Videos & Other Resources
Click below! Some have been created by our presenters, and others—like the Wild Edibles—are Wintergreen’s own. We will post all of the live stream webinars here once the Land Art BioBlitz has ended.
Wild Leeks: Learn to harvest them sustainably and enjoy their amazing flavour.
Lilacs: Learn how to use the flowers of the spring lilac to make a delicious lilac cordial.
Healing the Earth, Healing Ourselves with Kevin Fell
Dandelions: Learn about the tasty ways to use this amazing plant in your cooking.
Jesse Stewart playing handpan at Wintergreen’s Hobbit House during the 2017 BioBlitz.
Garlic Mustard: Invasive but nutritious and delicious. Try this pesto—fabulous!
Land Art BioBlitz 2018. Videography by Stuart David.
Honey Bees at Wintergreen’s 9th Meadow Apiary, July, 2019.
Join Emma Mullen for a half hour in the Dyce Lab apiary, where she demonstrates and discusses three common summer beekeeping practices.
Introducing Wintergreen Studios. Edited by Zinta Upitis
Hear from Rena Upitis from Wintergreen Studios about cordwood construction. A quick explanation of how they made their Hobbit House. Filmed in 2015 by Ottawa Green Homes.
Labyrinth at Wintergreen Studios, October 2019. Drone footage by Thomas Sears.
Wilderness survival tips (when the cell phone can’t help you…)
Brushing the bees at Wintergreen’s 9th Meadow Apiary on Sept 7, 2019. That’s our beekeeper in residence, Alex Pedersen!
Using iNaturalist on the web (en francais). Merci, Canadian Wildlife Federation!
Gallery - Land Art BioBlitz 2019
FAQs
Who can participate in the BioBlitz?
Anyone and everyone! Participants of all ages are welcome to attend workshops and webinars, download resources, and contribute to species identification.
Is there a cost?
This is a FREE event, which wouldn't be possible without the generous support from a group of amazing organizations. See a list of our partners and supporters below.
How can I prepare for the virtual BioBlitz?
- Download latest free version of Zoom.
- Create a free account on iNaturalist and join our project.
- Charge up the device you will be using to watch the live stream sessions!
Can I still participate in the live sessions if I do not have internet access or a smart phone?
Yes! You can 'dial in' to each session with any phone, using the Zoom phone numbers. Note the Meeting ID for each session you wish to attend (listed above). You will need this number to join the session via phone.
How can I prepare for time spent outside?
You should prepare yourself with anything you deem necessary for time spent outdoors.
Here is a sample list of recommended items:
- Clothing – long socks to tuck pants into, long pants (and/or windproof pants), shorts, layers (t-shirt, long-sleeved shirt, warm sweater/pullover), raincoat, hiking shoes/boots, hat
- Sunscreen, insect repellent, tick repellant (we suggest using natural products, such as rose geranium oil, and ask you to avoid using products with DEET)
- Daypack (sturdy and comfortable) and travel first aid kit
- Water bottle
- Camera
- Flashlight and/or headlamp (for night time species identification)
- Identification resources! (pencil, paper, clipboard, notebook, field guides, hand lenses, microscope)
What if I have more questions?
If you have any questions, concerns, or comments, please email Jess Pelow, Wintergreen Studios Project Coordinator.
Supporters
This event wouldn’t be possible without the generous support of a number of amazing organizations. Below is a list of Land Art BioBlitz 2016-2020 supporters and partners. Please show them some love!
Feedback
Your opinion is incredibly important to us! As this is the first time we’ve offered the Land Art BioBlitz virtually, we would appreciate your feedback so we can create an even more memorable event for the future. Indeed, when we eventually return to a face-to-face BioBlitz on the land, we plan to incorporate virtual offerings for those who cannot travel to Wintergreen. Please take a moment to fill out a short 2 minute survey about your experience below. We appreciate your input and your time.