Common Chickweed, edible, found at the April 12 P&P BioBlitz
Despite challenging weather conditions, the inaugural BioBlitz at Peace and Plenty Community Garden brought together a dedicated group of citizen scientists on Saturday, April 12. Seventeen enthusiastic participants braved the cold, damp, windy, and rainy conditions to document the biodiversity within this vibrant community space. The diverse group included environmentalists from the Rhode Island Wildplant Society, Audubon, 15 Minute Field Trips, and the Providence Urban Wildlife Conservation Partnership, alongside gardeners, an artist, a musician, and Wheeler School students.
The collaborative effort resulted in the identification of 72 different species of flora and fauna throughout the garden. Participants documented everything from cuspidate earth moss and false turkey tail fungi to common chickweed, furry snake millipedes, and red-bellied woodpeckers. All findings were meticulously recorded and uploaded to iNaturalist, an online platform for sharing biodiversity information that helps scientists and nature enthusiasts identify species and track wildlife observations.
This citizen science initiative serves multiple vital purposes for the community garden. BioBlitzes help gardeners better understand the wildlife that shares their space, from common weeds to soil invertebrates and visiting animals like grey squirrels. This understanding is crucial when implementing permaculture practices and sustainable gardening methods. The survey also helps identify invasive species and problem insects while informing strategies to support threatened pollinator populations, including Rhode Island’s declining bumblebee species.
The BioBlitz revealed fascinating information about common garden species that many might overlook. For instance, common chickweed—often considered just a weed—is actually edible and highly nutritious. Garden visitors interested in learning more about chickweed and other discoveries are invited to visit the garden during their regular Thursday or Saturday morning sessions, where every species found during the BioBlitz has its own unique ecological role and fascinating backstory.
The second BioBlitz took place on Saturday, July 12, with 30 community members joining the summer survey under beautiful weather conditions—a welcome contrast to April’s challenging conditions. This expanded gathering included representatives from the Rhode Island Natural History Survey, Audubon RI, Rhode Island Environmental Education Association, Providence Preservation Society, Providence Neighborhood Planting Program, and 15 Minute Field Trips, along with community scientists who served as species identifiers. The event was documented by videographer Greg Gerritt, photographers Sally Bozzuto and Catherine McCray, and freelance reporter Elizabeth Keiser, while musicians Phil Edmunds and Mike Hudson provided accompaniment and gardener Rafael Serrano painted during the survey.
The comprehensive species identification work, tabulated by Melissa Guillet of 15 Minute Field Trips, brought the total documented species count to an impressive 211 across both BioBlitzes. The extensive catalog includes everything from star rosette lichen, red amaranth, and dandelion to Chinese quince, hackberry, and tree of heaven among the plants, plus American robins, song sparrows, eastern grey squirrels, brown-bellied bumblebees, and even the invasive spotted lanternfly among the fauna. This remarkable diversity demonstrates the garden’s role as a haven for urban wildlife, native plants, and beneficial non-native species.
The final BioBlitz is scheduled for Saturday, October 11, and together these three seasonal surveys create a foundational database for this precious urban patch of green space. The project serves multiple educational goals: helping gardeners understand their pivotal role in restorative earth care, demonstrating that gardening need not be solely extractive, revealing that many “weeds” are actually gardener-friendly, and showing how supporting wild populations can enhance both garden experience and vitality. Additionally, Peace & Plenty will host “Moths, Bats and Creatures of the Night,” a nocturnal survey on Saturday, September 20, thanks to a grant from 15 Minute Field Trips.
To join the October 11 fall BioBlitz, email Doug at doug.crimewatch@gmail.com. All abilities are welcome—no prior experience necessary. The BioBlitz series has been made possible through a grant from Bloom Rhode Island, demonstrating how this important work connects community members with their local ecosystems while supporting Rhode Island’s threatened wildlife populations. As organizers note, they are “succeeding in making sure our urban wild things are considered and counted.”
