Anyone can be a nature documentarian this long weekend with the fourth annual Big Backyard BioBlitz.
Organized by the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), the event allows Canadians of all ages to contribute to ecological research by documenting the natural world.
During the event, participants are asked to take photos or record video or audio of birds, animals, insects, or plants and upload them to the NCC website.
It's a family-friendly event, and prior experience is required.
The data is used by scientists and conservation groups to gain a better understanding of ecological regions and patterns.
Last year, nearly 10,000 Canadians contributed nearly 60,000 observations, with over 4,500 of those uploads coming from Alberta.
Anyone interested can register on the Big Backyard BioBlitz website, and participants are automatically entered to win a prize pack.