Greater Melbourne
Friday 20th September to Monday 23rd September 2024
In 2024, councils across metropolitan Melbourne are collaborating to represent Greater Melbourne for the first time in the Great Southern Bioblitz, competing with cities and regions from across the southern hemisphere. The Great Southern Bioblitz is an annual citizen science event for the southern hemisphere and was first run in 2020.
Click here to follow how Greater Melbourne is tracking against the rest of the southern hemisphere
Click here to follow how each Council is contributing to the Greater Melbourne project
How to get involved
You can contribute by using iNaturalist to log photos or sound recordings of wild plants and animals you find anywhere in metropolitan Melbourne between Friday 20th September to Monday 23rd September 2024. Start getting familiar with iNaturalist now and be ready to show the world the incredible biodiversity of Melbourne.
To learn more about how to use iNaturalist watch one of the many online webinar recordings, such as:
- A beginners guide for using iNaturalist by Thomas Mesaglio (thebeachcomber), a curator and forum moderator on iNaturalist, for GSB
- Advance tips for using iNaturalist by Thomas Mesaglio (thebeachcomber), a curator and forum moderator on iNaturalist, for GSB
- iNaturalist training webinar by ecologist Dr Luis Mata (on behalf of the 2021 City Nature Challenge collaboration).
Citizen scientist events 2024
Councils and supporting organisations across metropolitan Melbourne are running activities during the four days of the Bioblitz to help you get involved and learn more about the nature around you:
Friday 20th September:
- Bundoora – Stagwatch
- Ringwood North – Nature discovery with a focus on plants
- Croydon Hills – Nature discovery with a focus on frogs (sold out)
Saturday 21st September:
- Bundoora – Fish survey
- Bundoora – Moth night
- Kew East – Billabong Bioblitz: Krefft’s glider hollow checks
- Kew East – Billabong Bioblitz
- Kew East – Billabong Bioblitz: Kids Animal Adventure Walk (session 1)
- Kew East – Billabong BioBlitz: Kids Spider Walk (session 1) (sold out)
- Kew East – Billabong Bioblitz: Kids Animal Adventure Walk (session 2)
- Kew East – Billabong BioBlitz: Kids Spider Walk (session 2)
- Kew East – Billabong Bioblitz: Dusk Wildlife Walk and Talk (adults)
- Kew East – Billabong BioBlitz: Moth Night
- Kew East – Billabong Bioblitz: Night Wildlife Walk and Talk (adults)
- Middle Park – Great Southern BioBlitz Fauna Survey
- Ringwood – Nature discovery with a focus on fish (sold out)
- Croydon – Nature discovery with a focus on water bugs
- Ringwood East – Nature discovery with a focus on birds (sold out)
- Warranwood – Nature discovery with a focus on moths
Sunday 22nd September:
- Bundoora – Breakfast with the birds
- Bundoora – Water bug blitz
- Bundoora – Twilight tour
Monday 23rd September:
- Bundoora – Wildflower walk
- Heathmont – Nature discovery with a focus on spiders (sold out)
In 2024 the Greater Melbourne collaboration involves 19 councils, along with; • The Entomological Society of Victoria • Field Naturalists Club of Victoria • Hobson’s Bay Wetlands Centre • Latrobe University/Nangak Tamboree Wildlife Reserve • Melbourne Water • Victorian Environmental Friends Network • Port Phillip Ecocentre• RMIT• Maribyrnong River and Waterways Association• Yarra Riverkeeper Association