If you completed a pre-survey a few months ago, please consider filling out this post-survey as well. This will help FWC learn about its programming and develop new ways to connect people to nature.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/QXQBQSC

Thanks!

• Pete Kleinhenz

For those of you who completed a pre-assessment survey, please take the time to fill out this short post-assessment survey as well. If you did not do the pre-assessment, don't worry about doing this one. Your feedback helps us with planning and to ensure that we are meeting the goals of our programs.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/QXQBQSC

You all rock! Keep the observations coming and keep exploring.

• Pete Kleinhenz

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission would like to assess its Backyards and Beyond program. As such, we would like to have members of our backyard iNaturalist projects complete pre-assessments. Please consider helping us by taking this survey. It takes less than two minutes to complete.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/L9GTNYZ

Thank you!

• Peter Kleinhenz

Hi Everyone!

The Leon County City Nature Challenge is happening in just over two months! Leon County/Tallahassee is competing against over 150 cities around the world. With our levels of biodiversity, we have a shot at winning this. To see who our competition is, check out http://citynaturechallenge.org/

I’ve tagged you in this journal post (or in the comments) because you’re either a top observer in Leon County over the past year or someone I know personally as active on iNaturalist. We’re really hoping you’ll participate in this year’s City Nature Challenge – while we know getting observations from as many people as we can is important, we also know that it’s top iNat observers like you that will really push us ahead in the number of observations made and especially the number of species found in Leon County!

The easiest way to join in is to just make as many observations of as many species as possible in Leon County between April 26 and April 29. Helping with IDs will also increase our species number, so that’s a great way to help out as well. And of course, spread the word by sharing our project with others.

The details: the CNC runs from 12:01 AM on Friday, 4/26 to 11:59 PM on Monday, 4/29. All observations count, although we have a preference for observations made of wild organisms. We're announcing results on Saturday, 5/4, so try to get all your observations uploaded by then! Also, the more observations we can get identified down to species by then, the higher our species number will be.

We will be holding a series of events with our partners to streamline the process of making observations, including a day full of exploration as part of WFSU's Ecocitizen Day. Visit MyFWC.com/CNC for details.

We have no shortage of places to explore in Leon County. Feel free to organize trips to your favorite places, give recommendations on places with high biodiversity in the comments, or to join us on our excursions. We are happy to promote these trips if you would like us to.

Please feel free to brainstorm other ideas, ask questions, etc. in the comments – and definitely add others to this journal post via tagging them in the comments!

Hello fellow nature nerds!

We encourage people to set up their yards as projects. Here is a video on how to do it:

https://vimeo.com/261328855

You can give the project an alternate name if you're worried about privacy. Also, please let me know via a message or email if you do this so that I can add your project to our overall Backyards of Florida umbrella project.

Let me know if you have any questions!

• Peter

Have you created a pond? Planted native wildflowers? Put out bird feeders? Please share what improvements you've made to your yard to attract native wildlife! This is our chance to learn from one another.