Loja, Ecuador Joins the Great Southern Bioblitz 2025!

Great Southern Bioblitz
Jun 14
2 min read

We’re excited to announce that Loja, Ecuador is once again participating in the Great Southern Bioblitz (GSB) — a global citizen science event running from October 24th to 27th, 2025. This vibrant city in southern Ecuador will join hundreds of other locations across the Southern Hemisphere to showcase its rich biodiversity and engage the community in nature exploration and species identification.

🌿 Project Link: Gran Bioblitz del Sur Loja 2025

🌱 Looking Back at Loja’s 2024 Success

In 2024, Loja made a strong impression during its first participation in the GSB. Over just four days, the local community recorded:

290 observations
131 species
20 observers
76 identifiers

Top recorded species included:

Species	Observations
Eucrosia mirabilis	7
Guayaquil Squirrel (Sciurus stramineus)	6
Scytodes (Genus of spitting spiders)	6
Amazilia Hummingbird (Amazilis amazilia)	6
Plumbeous-backed Thrush (Turdus reevei)	5
Supertribe Pleminiiti	5

This remarkable debut demonstrated both Loja’s incredible biodiversity and the strength of its growing iNaturalist community.

🐾 Biodiversity in the Province of Loja

The entire province of Loja continues to be a hotspot for biodiversity on iNaturalist, with:

55,923 observations
5,468 species
1,676 observers
3,140 identifiers

Top observed species in the province include:

Species	Observations
Black-eyed Susan Vine (Thunbergia alata)	659
Asphaera albomarginata	185
Pacific Hornero (Furnarius cinnamomeus)	163
European Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)	138
Saffron Finch (Sicalis flaveola)	134
Guayaquil Squirrel (Sciurus stramineus)	124
Asian Lady Beetle (Harmonia axyridis)	115
Common Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)	114
Ceiba trischistandra	113
Golden Silk Spider	107

📱 Get Involved!

Whether you’re a seasoned naturalist or just beginning your journey into citizen science, everyone is welcome to participate! You can contribute by photographing and recording plants, animals, and fungi in your backyard, parks, or local reserves.

📸 Follow local updates and join the community online: