Welcome to the Illinois Botanists Big Year 2020!
And we're off! I see some of you have been out and about already. :)
Find the most plant species in Illinois in 2020 and rejoice in your victory! The year 2020 marks the fifth annual Illinois Botanists Big Year. Anyone may participate, from professional botanist to plant identification novice, by uploading photographic proof of their plant sightings to iNaturalist. Each observation will automatically count toward the contest if it meets the rules below.
Rules:
- Must be a plant (bryophytes and vascular plants – native and non-native species are accepted),
- Observed in Illinois,
- Observed in 2020 (and uploaded by January 15th, 2021), and
- Research Grade (that means it must be “wild/naturalized” and that you need a photo, date, location, and at least two people or >2/3 consensus on a species ID, in order to confirm the identification accuracy)
Winning Categories:
- Most Species
- Most Observations
- The Sedgehead (most species within Carex)
- The Grassmaster (most species within Poaceae)
- The Sporophyte (most species outside of flowering plants, Magnoliophyta)
- Anyone have other ideas for fun winning categories?
The official website, where you can find previous years' results and other helpful information is: https://ill-inps.org/illinois-botanists-big-year
For those wondering, the 2019 results will be announced on January 26th, 2020.
You have until then to help contestants out with identification.
happy botanizing!
-cassi / @bouteloua
Kommentit
Pinging all the members of the 2019 project and some other frequent IL plant observers. Here's the link to join the 2020 project if you're interested in following along this year:
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/illinois-botanists-big-year-2020/join
@alefringhouse24 @andrewhipp @andrewstpaul @annab @ashleywold @balsamgrommet @birdboy @brdnrdr @calloftheloon @cleaarbogast @d_coulter @dan58 @dbild @dougtaron @dziomber @eattaway92 @elfaulkner @eriko @esp @ewarden @grantfessler @illinois_joy @irenejhf @jackassgardener @jakeskee @janetwright @jbfant @jenhugstrees @jenieset @jfaupel @jhoekstra @jhowell @jingyilu @joelmc @johnhboldt @juliebags @k2018lena @kathleensoler2 @katiemae0929 @kennedy9094 @kkucera @livingalmanac @maureenclare @mdunning @michelle894 @missgreen @mvandevord @naturalist_glenn @naturalist_zeb @observer26 @outdoorsie @paulroots @prairie_land_conservancy @prairiehobbit @profspinifera @psweet @puzzlemasta @rgraveolens @rin_nd @rlammann @rozhelfand @sanguinaria33 @sedge @skrentnyjeff @ssinn @stocksdale @taco2000 @tchakamaura @vvoelker @whimbrelbirder @wildernessbarbie @wildlandblogger @woodridgejeff
Another idea for a category- Compositor- the person who gets the most Asteraceae?
Other possible categories:
The Carnivore - Most Carnivorous Plant Species
The Parasite - Most Parasitic Plant Species
The Defender - Most Invasive Plant Observations
The Heartthrob - Observer with the Most Favorited Observations
The Tunnel Visionary - Most Observations of a Single Species
Our Orchid Kid - Most Orchids
The Bryophyter - Most Non-Vascular Plants
The Artist - Most Beautiful Observation Photos
The Kool-Aid Drinker - Most Observations for Someone New to iNat
The Zealot - Most Observations Increased from Previous Year
And a special award for any taxon newly observed in Illinois on iNat.
i could do this all day!
oh, and maybe a special challenge/possible award for people who have been a part of all the Botany Big Years?
The Spy - Most Automatically Obscured Species
The Lurker - the person who joined the project but has the fewest observations
lol
I love to watch how the "most common" change over the year. Right now the trees are dominating (maybe because there are not many pretty flowers to distract our attention?) By the end of the year the trees get buried way down the list. I am eagerly anticipating when the spring woodland flowers start to crack the list! I am guessing they will show up on iNat sooner than I find them in the woods since I'm up north in the state.
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