2025 BioBlitz

Students and community members gathered for a presentation by Dr John Conallin as part of the BioBlitz activities.

Great Southern BioBlitz: a YACTAC and Refreshing Rivers Central Billabong Event

The Great Southern BioBlitz is an intensive citizen science initiative held across the Southern Hemisphere in spring, where participants record living species using the iNaturalist platform. Observations are verified by experts and can contribute to research-grade biodiversity data, including the Atlas of Living Australia.

This YACTAC and Refreshing Rivers event was held on Friday 24 October 2025 at Luke Park in Jerilderie. With fine weather and more than 30 attendees, participants spent the day documenting local biodiversity through photography and uploading observations to iNaturalist, following an initial period of technical setup.

Ecologist Dan Hutton and Fish Ecologist Dr John Conallin led a “What’s in Your Lake?” session, supporting participants to explore and record aquatic life. Students and community members also used scoop nets to sample invertebrates and small aquatic fauna.

A wide range of species were recorded, including birds, insects, fish, freshwater shrimp, backswimmers, and riparian vegetation, highlighting the rich biodiversity of the Billabong system.

YACTAC and the Refreshing River Program thanks Oaklands Central School, St Joseph’s Primary School, Aunty Sos, Jordy and Eliza from the Jeithi Aboriginal Group, Kaitlin from Murray LLS, and Trevor Clark for their contributions, along with all participants for their enthusiasm, knowledge sharing, and support on the day.

Students waiting for lunch after a big morning of making observations for the BioBlitz.