Nov 4, 2025
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OTTAWA, Nov. 4, 2025 - The Canadian Wildlife Federation (CWF) has announced that a record number 97,046 nature observations were made during its second annual CWF Great Canadian Bioblitz, a national event in collaboration with the Campus Nature Challenge designed to track and showcase biodiversity using the iNaturalist platform.
Included in that total was the first ever observation in Canada (and second in the entire world) of Phyllactinia holodisci, a host-specific mildew species seen attached to the Oceanspray shrub, and the first observation in Canada on iNaturalist of the Spotted Lagoon Aeolid. Another impressive observation was made of the Endangered Bogbean Buckmoth, which until the Great Canadian Bioblitz had only been recorded 18 times in Canada through the iNaturalist app.
“Observations like the three mentioned here are why recording observations through the app is so valuable to conservation science these occurrences would have otherwise never been known,” said James Pagé, Species at Risk and Biodiversity Specialist with CWF. “We were thrilled to see Canadians from coast to coast connecting with nature during the event, and the species observations help scientists and managers assess the state of biodiversity in Canada. Recording observations of such rare species during the CWF Great Canadian Bioblitz is truly exciting.”
The 97,046 observations marked a significant jump from the previous year’s Great Canadian Bioblitz total, which recorded 42,135 in its first year. This year the final total included observations made in conjunction with the Campus Nature Challenge, which is hosted annually by the Campus Biodiversity Network.
"Aligning the Campus Nature Challenge with the Great Canadian Bioblitz has been a terrific way to encourage biodiversity observations on college and university campuses in Canada," said Katherine Collin, Director of the Campus Biodiversity Network and professor at Vanier College. "The event really showcases the power of participatory science in action, and we are looking forward to collaborating again next year."
The most observed species in this year’s Great Canadian Bioblitz was the Common Eastern Bumble Bee with 977 observations. Observations were made in every province and territory, including 26 species in and around the low Arctic zone of Iqaluit, NU. The observation numbers added to the growing total on iNaturalist.ca, which celebrated its 10 th year of existence in 2025 by reaching the 20 million mark in total observations in Canada. That number is a significant milestone according to Pagé.
“That number demonstrates the fact Canadians are embracing the app and using it to learn more about the natural world around them.” said Pagé.
With the loss of biological diversity emerging as a global environmental threat, events like the CWF Great Canadian Bioblitz is a simple way everyone in Canada can be part of the solution. CWF announced that the third annual Great Canadian Bioblitz will be held again in collaboration with the Campus Nature Challenge and is already planned for Saturday, Sept. 19 through Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026.
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RELATED LINKS:
Great Canadian Bioblitz https://greatcanadianbioblitz.org
CWF Great Canadian Bioblitz iNaturalist Project https://inaturalist.ca/projects/the-cwf-great-canadian-bioblitz-le-grand-bioblitz-canadien-de-la-fcf
Canadian Wildlife Federation https://cwf-fcf.org/en/
About the Canadian Wildlife Federation:
The Canadian Wildlife Federation is a national, not-for-profit charitable
organization dedicated to conserving Canada’s wildlife and habitats for the
use and enjoyment of all. By spreading knowledge of human impacts on
wildlife and the environment, carrying out actions to conserve and restore
species and habitats, developing and delivering conservation education
programs, advocating for changes to government policy and programs, and
co-operating with like-minded partners, CWF encourages a future in which
Canadians can live in harmony with nature. For more information, visit
CanadianWildlifeFederation.ca.
Contact:
David DeRocco
Sr. Manager, Marketing and Events
davidd@cwf-fcf.org
(613) 599-9594 x 279
(905) 975 4672 (cell)
General Contact:
