During Friends of Grand Rapids Parks’ BioBlitz 2026, we’re going to document as many different plants, insects, fish, birds, and other wildlife species in Riverside Park as possible in one day! This record will help us track restoration efforts by establishing a baseline of species present through the power of citizen science!

There will be scientist-led activities throughout the day for participants to join in and contribute to the scientific process. Events will be family- and kid-friendly! In addition to other fun science-based activities, attendees will help to find, identify, and record various species of flora and fauna identified during the event in the iNaturalist app! If you don’t have the app, you can always talk to one of our staff or event partners about what you have found, and they can enter it into the app for you. Educational activities and resources provided by our partners will help participants learn more about the incredible species you might encounter in the park, and our scientist experts can help with confirming which species you’re noticing as you enjoy Riverside Park!

Join us at 6:30 a.m. for a pre-event bird hike!

Find full details here.