An event happening through till Monday across Canada is a win-win situation.

It’s Nature Conservancy of Canada’s fourth annual Big Backyard BioBlitz which aims to create a snapshot of nature in Canada, by encouraging everyone to get outside and document the nature around us.

NCC Saskatchewan spokesperson, Kayla Burak, states that it helps researchers and biologists with real-time information and helps to determine ongoing population trends.

It helps conservation groups understand the state of local biodiversity, track at-risk species and even tackle invasive ones.

All you have to do is register on the ‘backyard bioblitz’ website then head outdoors and take some pictures or record sounds of nature and then upload them to the iNaturalist app.

If you can’t identify the wildlife you have recorded, you can leave it blank and the experts will confirm your findings.

It’s a win for science and it’s a win for participants, Burak says, because you get to possibly learn some new things and observe nature, which is beneficial for both our mental and physical health.

Burak adds that the NCC began the Big Backyard BioBlitz during COVID to encourage people to get outside, and it has worked.

Every year there are more participants.

Last year 59,000 observations were uploaded across Canada and in Saskatchewan, there were 2,100.

One of the observations in the province was baby’s breath, which is a really invasive species that can be a detriment to native grassland.