This past summer, the Learning by Leading Youth Education Co-Leaders had the opportunity to work with Rural Youth Services to provide a four day program for a group of middle schoolers. The week was full of activities that helped youth connect to nature through a balance of art, science, and play as they explored the Botanic Gardens. On the last day of the program, we participated in the Summer 2025 East Finger Lakes BioBlitz hosted by the Paleontological Research Institution. The BioBlitz is a seasonal event where community members are invited to identify the local species of plants, bugs, and animals around them using an app called iNaturalist.

For our program, youth were grouped into pairs accompanied by one adult with iNaturalist. The groups were able to explore the Herb Garden and the Beebe Lake natural area, following a loop from the Nevin Welcome Center to the Martin Y. Tang Welcome Center. By giving the youth independence to explore the plants and animals that caught their interest, they were able to connect with local wildlife they see in their everyday lives and gain a more holistic understanding of the ecosystems around them.  

The 2025 East Finger Lakes BioBlitz only lasted three days, from July 25 to July 28. In that short frame period, 234 observers made 3,240 observations and identified 1,286 unique species. It was truly an honor to be a part of such a powerful community effort, and we were fortunate to be able to expose a group of new, young nature lovers to this meaningful, collective experience. We look forward to using all we learned from this program to continue to engage youth with nature throughout the upcoming school year!

A big thank you to the Paleontological Research Institution for organizing the Bioblitz, who also have a fall Bioblitz planned in Ithaca for October 11 to 14, as well as a winter BioBlitz scheduled for January 31st to February 3rd. Furthermore, a huge shout out to Botanic Gardens Youth Education coordinator Lauren Salzman, Youth Commission Program educator Beth Bannister, and PRI’s Climate Change Education manager Ingrid Zabel for making this experience possible!

 

-Elliot Kim ‘28
Youth Education Co-Leader