Have you ever explored a river near you and its living organisms? Are there any changes that you have noticed about the river and its environment over the years? If yes, you have participated in a Home River BioBlitz event.
A BioBlitz is an event that focuses on finding and identifying as many species as possible in a specific area over a short time. It is a collaborative effort by scientists, families, students, teachers, and other community members to gather data on a region’s biodiversity. These occurrences can occur everywhere, whether it is in an urban, rural, or suburban area, a backyard, or a whole country. Smartphone technologies and apps such as iNaturalist make collecting photographs and biological information about living things easy as part of a BioBlitz. High-quality data uploaded to iNaturalist becomes part of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, an open-source database used by scientists and policymakers around the world.
In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, The River Collective introduced the Home River Bioblitz, inviting people around the world to locally explore their own rivers, document the diversity in those rivers, including birds, reeds, microorganisms, insects and plants. Since then, Home River Bioblitz has been annually held to promote curiosity, conservation, and connection around the world.
Jane Kimani, the current Home River BioBlitz African Region representative, mentions the need to explore the rivers near us as a way of contributing to global river conservation, reviving indigenous knowledge, and promoting environmental responsibility among communities.
“Every river has a story, and by taking time to observe, learn, and document what flows through our local waters or along the rivers, we not only protect biodiversity but also reconnect with our heritage as we map out environmental conservation strategies in a fun and inclusive way.”
Over the years, Edutab Africa, led by Jane Kimani, has been participating in the annual Home River Bioblitz events. For instance, on September 22nd, Edutab Africa, in partnership with Purposefully Made Ministry (PMM), an organization that provides Kenyan children with disabilities, their teachers, and their caregivers crucial tools for inclusion and development, organized the first local River BioBlitz event, which was conducted at Kitale Museum. Edutab Africa then organized another river exploration activity in 2023, in partnership with ESPA, and another in 2024.
Following these events, Edutab Africa has managed to reach over 60 students and teachers from across Trans Nzoia County in river explorations, with each event bringing together around 15–20 participants, both kids and adults within the community.
This year, the Home River Bioblitz event will be taking place from 19th to 21st September, and Edutab Africa is once again gearing up to engage local communities in meaningful and creative ways. The focus will be on community-led river observations, documenting species on iNaturalist, and storytelling, offering participants a hands-on opportunity to explore biodiversity while celebrating cultural ties to their local water bodies.
We are also calling on African communities/organisations across the continent to join in; from the Nile to the Niger, from the Athi to the Zambezi. Let us take time to observe the rivers that flow through our villages, towns, and cities. Let us listen to their stories, document the life they carry, and explore the unique ecological and cultural diversity that exists within our own Home River Bioblitz experiences.
If you are interested in organizing your own Home River Bioblitz or partnering with us this year, reach out through our website or social media. We would love to collaborate and support your river journey across Africa.
Written by Jane Kimani, Magdalene Chorongo
and Faith Wanja.