Moccasin Lake Nature Park will host a guided pollinator-documentation walk on Saturday, Sept. 19, as part of a month-long citizen-science effort across Pinellas County that kicks off Sept. 5 at Raymond H. Neri Park in St. Petersburg.

The Parks for Pollinators BioBlitz, coordinated by Pinellas County Parks and Conservation Resources through its Bee City USA program, runs throughout September. Participants photograph native pollinators and pollinator-friendly plants, then upload observations to the free iNaturalist app. No experience is required.

The Clearwater walk runs from 10 a.m. to noon at the 54-acre preserve at 2750 Park Trail Lane. Two other guided events precede it: Saturday, Sept. 5, at Raymond H. Neri Park in St. Petersburg and Sept. 12 at Patti Johnson Farm in Pinellas Park. All three run from 10 a.m. to noon.

Pinellas County partnered with the cities of Clearwater and Pinellas Park for 2026 to expand the program across the county. The 2025 BioBlitz logged more than 4,300 observations.

"Documenting and learning about these vital pollinators, like bees, butterflies and moths, gives us valuable information about our parks, preserves and natural spaces," Paul Cozzie, director of Pinellas County Parks and Conservation Resources, said in the county's announcement.

Residents who cannot attend a guided walk can still participate on their own at any Pinellas County park or preserve during September. Download the iNaturalist app, photograph a bee, butterfly or moth, and upload the image.

Moccasin Lake Nature Park features trails and boardwalks under mature oaks, ponds and creeks, gopher tortoises and injured birds of prey housed at the on-site Nature Center.

Coming up

  • Saturday, Sept. 5: Parks for Pollinators guided walk, Raymond H. Neri Park, St. Petersburg, 10 a.m.–noon
  • Sept. 12: Parks for Pollinators guided walk, Patti Johnson Farm, Pinellas Park, 10 a.m.–noon
  • Sept. 19: Parks for Pollinators guided walk, Moccasin Lake Nature Park, Clearwater, 10 a.m.–noon
  • Oct. 3: Wildflower and Pollinator Festival, Brooker Creek Preserve, 9 a.m.–2 p.m.

For more information, email [email protected].