Think Wild, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting wildlife conservation and education, is hosting a series of challenges this weekend to encourage Central Oregon residents to get outside and explore.

The organization’s latest initiative, called the BioBlitz, kicked off Friday at Hatfield Pond, where participants gathered to count birds and other wildlife.

This is the first time Bend is participating in a BioBlitz, an event that many other cities across the United States have been doing for years. Think Wild says it’s excited to introduce the challenge to the High Desert because it helps collect important information about the local ecosystem.

“It scales up to be used in real science research, and it happens at the same time every year. So it becomes useful data to track patterns over time in certain areas,” says Sadie Pollock, Education & Volunteer Manager at Think Wild.

The BioBlitz will continue Saturday with Wetlands plant ID walk and a gravel bike and birding tour.

Anyone can participate by downloading the iNaturalist app. The app allows users to store photos and notes about the plants and wildlife in the area.