Diario del proyecto The Great Backyard BIOlympics: Nature Decathlon

1. Backyard Bird Bowl - Break out the binoculars and watch the birds in your backyard. Don’t have binoculars? Make your own kid-friendly craft bino’s here! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iM-oM8fPduo)
2. Bumble Bee Bonanza - Buzz Buzz! Did you know that there are over 350 species of bees in the GTA? Get to know some of the bumble bees that pollinate plants in our neighbourhoods.
3. Invasive Species Art-chery - Show off your art skills, become familiar with some of your local alien invaders!
4. Freestyle Insect ID - Creeping, crawling, swimming and flying - bugs use lots of different ways to get around. Get up close and personal with some of our multi-legged friends.
5. Chipmunk Challenge - Chipmunks and squirrels do some funny things when they think we aren't watching. Get creative with a story about them.
6. Tree-athlon - Bark. Twigs. Flowers. Leaves. There are so many parts of a tree, and just as many ways to identify them. Get up close and personal with your friendly neighbourhood trees.
7. Shrub Shuffle - Shrubs provide habitat for lots of wildlife! Keep an eye out for bird nests and flowers which may attract pollinators!
8. Fishing for Flowers - Hundreds of colorful flowers bloom every spring and summer in Ontario - which ones can you find in your neighborhood?
9. Dirt Diving - Many creatures live underground. Who are they?
10. Moth-a-thon - There are so many moths, most come out at night. Try some nighttime "mothing" and see which species you can find.

The Nature Decathlon is almost here. Whether you participate in one of these 'sport' challenges, or all of them, we hope you have fun exploring your backyard or neighbourhood this weekend!

1. Backyard Bird Bowl
   Your Goal: Discover which birds live in your backyard or neighbourhood (submission by email or iNaturalist)

2. Bumble Bee Bonanza
   Your Goal: Submit as many bumble bee species as you can find to Bumble Bee Watch (submission to https://www.bumblebeewatch.org/)

3. Invasive Species Art-chery
   Your Goal: Draw your best impression of an invasive species you have seen in your neighbourhood (submission by email & iNaturalist)

4. Freestyle Insect ID
   Your Goal: Find, take photos of, and identify with iNaturalist as many bugs as you can

5. Chipmunk Challenge
   Your Goal: Write your best backyard Chipmunk short story. (submission by email)

6. Tree-athlon
   Your Goal: Identify at least 3 tree species in your neighbourhood

7. Shrub Shuffle
   Your Goal: Identify as many shrubs as you see on a walk through your neighborhood

8. Fishing for Flowers
   Your Goal: Identify as many flowers you can find in your neighbourhood that aren’t in a garden.

9. Dirt Diving
   Your Goal: Identify species in your neighbourhood that live underground.

10. Moth-a-thon
    Your Goal: Capture (with a photo) as many moths as you can under a light at night.

For all details on each challenge, how to submit, and other resources to help you out, visit: https://www.oakridgesmoraine.org/backyard-biolympics/