Sheldrake's 3rd Annual Backyard Bioblitz Starts Sunday

LARCHMONT, NY — Science is everywhere and now there's a fun way to connect with other science enthusiasts without ever leaving your own backyard.

The Sheldrake Environmental Center is holding its 3rd Annual Backyard Bioblitz between Sunday, July 17 and Saturday, July 23. The event is billed as a fun, easy way to contribute to science by taking pictures of nature anywhere in Westchester County and uploading them to the iNaturalist app, which is a collaboration between the National Geographic Society and the California Academy of Science.

Participation is free and Sheldrake will award prizes to submitted photos in different categories. Backyard scientists are encouraged to form a team to make the event extra fun.

You can find more information and register on the Sheldrake website.

No age is too young or too old to take part.

According to the Larchmont Library, librarian Liam Hegarty won the prize in 2021 for oldest participant through "clever, strategic maneuvering."

The library invites you to join him this year as he scours the library's grounds searching for wildlife during the end of his lunch break. Hegarty will be glad to demonstrate how iNaturalist works as well. The library says to "look for the gray-haired man in the bushes betwen 12:45 and 1 p.m." on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday next week.

In addition, the library says that it has a selection of wildlife guides, some geared towards budding naturalists, on display in the Main Reading Room.