FGCU BioBlitz highlights campus collaboration and curiosity

April 06, 2026

Each year, FGCU faculty and students come together for a BioBlitz, a one-day event where all species found in a given area within 24 hours are documented. This includes plants, insects, spiders, birds, mammals and fish, which participants document using tools such as magnifying glasses, binoculars, cameras or dissecting scopes.

A group of FGCU students and professors walk along a wooded trail surrounded by trees and dense vegetation while looking for wildlife.

Guided walks are led through the outdoor classroom and can last between one to two hours.

Faculty lead the guided hikes on campus, while students and staff follow along and use the iNaturalist app to document what is seen along the trails.

These observations are recorded and become part of a shared dataset that can support future conservation work, research projects and long-term species monitoring.

Faculty lead the guided hikes on campus, while students and staff follow along and use the iNaturalist app to document what is seen along the trails. These observations are recorded and become part of a shared dataset that can support future conservation work, research projects and long-term species monitoring.

Last year’s BioBlitz brought together 75 students, faculty and staff who contributed to 560 observations representing 245 species. The event highlights the strong collaboration between faculty and students, allowing participants to explore and celebrate the variety of wildlife at FGCU. The guided hikes also serve as an opportunity to introduce new naturalists with general knowledge about the featured organism they are documenting.

Students, faculty and staff are welcome to participate in the next FGCU BioBlitz, which is scheduled for April 10. If you are curious about the biodiversity on campus and would like to sign up to join a hike as a participant, send an email to Mercedes Roesler at mroesler@fgcu.edu.