YouTube video by Urban Atlas

The city says the ongoing construction of Hawrelak Park is on time and budget, with many of the ‘finishing touches’ being added this summer.

Get to know Alberta’s brand new citizen science app, NatureLynx! Are you a nature enthusiast, novice naturalist or someone who simply enjoys exploring the outdoors? Collecting and sharing experiences and observations in nature has come a long, long way. What began with pencils, notepads and sketches has evolved into an incredibly advanced tool that fits in your pocket. The Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute (ABMI) is excited to announce the launch of our brand new citizen science app: NatureLynx! Join the ABMI and the City of Edmonton for this FREE event on July 21, 2018 at the Meet and Bleat event to discover the app created for and by Alberta’s nature enthusiasts. Use NatureLynx to explore the world around you. Identify local species, learn about biodiversity hotspots and connect with other curious people. This is the official launch of NatureLynx, and we’ve planned some fun activities to celebrate! The activities include: An event-specific mission. We’re asking everyone in attendance to spot 3 cool species found in the park, and submit their sightings in the app. Everyone who participates will be entered to win one of 10 NatureLynx prize packs, including one grand prize pack! We are also hosting 30-minute nature walks with Lichen, Moss and plant specialists at 10:30, 11:30, 12:15 and 1:00. Want to join in on a nature walk? Sign up for a FREE EventBrite ticket on this event page to book your spot on one of these exciting, expert-led nature walks! Please indicate on your registration which time slot you’d like to sign up for. On the day of the event, just come find us at our NatureLynx tent ten minutes before its scheduled start time! Plan on attending any of these activities? Before you do, let’s make sure you’re ready by following these few easy steps (you can do this at the even if you prefer): 1. Download the app onto your mobile device (IPhone or Android) from the App Store or Google Play store. 2. Sign up to create a new NatureLynx account. The “location” field is used to help you filter for nearby sightings. 3. See the latest sightings of Alberta’s biodiversity submitted to NatureLynx by exploring the newsfeed. 4. Learn how to identify common Alberta species by browsing our species profiles by clicking the bird icon at the bottom of the newsfeed. 5. Practice submitting your sightings! Use the camera to take a photo of an Alberta species*, or select a photo from your gallery. Choose the appropriate species group; if known, provide a species name or mark it as unknown. The date, time and location will autofill. Provide any relevant field notes (optional)--and then submit to share your sighting with the NatureLynx community! 6. And more: edit your profile, join groups and missions, and follow other naturalists and NatureLynx users! Having trouble? Don’t worry, ABMI staff will be available on site at the event from 10:00-2:00 PM to help you set up the NatureLynx, and answer any questions you may have about using the app! Interested in the what else is going on that day? Here’s some of the other fun activities you can expect to find as part of the City of Edmonton’s Meet and Bleat event: Join a guided walk to a viewing point where you can engage with the goats and their shepherd through a fenced area; Join in at the craft station to make a goat-themed craft; Meet awesome exhibitors from the City of Edmonton and learn about tree planting, and pest management in the city. *NatureLynx is a way to collect and share data on all of Alberta’s species (birds, mammals, plants, insects, etc.), but it’s not intended for collecting data/images on domestic species (garden plants, domestic animals). **Parking is available north of the tennis courts.