Naturalist Training - Bird Families of Santa Clara County Diversity goes deeper than the feathers. We're exploring survival strategies of some of the birds that call Santa Clara County home in the spring. Santa Clara County is home to an amazing number of species, and spring is a great time to witness it. With their brightest feathers and most complicated songs, birds are happy to announce themselves at this time of year. We're taking a different look at bird diversity with some of the species that spend spring raising the next generation in our neighborhoods. From cross-species communication to literal community building, long-term residents to frequent flyers, we're looking at five species trying to survive and thrive in Silicon Valley. This video is the 10th Naturalist Training. You can view the full series at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlDmox4fiBlouwq-K2q6l9N2LJxdp37yo Co-hosts are Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful, BioBlitz Club and Santa Clara Valley Bird Alliance. Recording date: 3/19/25 == RESOURCE LIST Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful: - Website: KeepCoyoteCreekBeautiful.org - Facebook: @CoyoteCreekSJ - Instagram: @CoyoteCreekSJ BioBlitz.club - Website: https://www.bioblitz.club/ - Facebook: @bioblitz.club Santa Clara Valley Bird Alliance - Website: https://scvbirdalliance.org - Facebook: @scvbirdalliance - Instagram: @scvbirdalliance == BIRD SPECIFIC - What to do if you find a baby bird: https://scvbirdalliance.org/s/BABY-BIRD-CHART-1.pdf - Hooded Oriole Abundance Map: https://bit.ly/4hw0Yih - Bird Alliance videos: https://scvbirdalliance.org/videos == BIRD-FRIENDLY IDEAS - Growing Natives Garden Tour, https://gngt.org/GNGT/index.php - California Native Plant Society - Santa Clara Valley : https://www.cnps-scv.org - Grassroots Ecology Nursery: https://www.grassrootsecology.org/nursery - Bringing Back the Natives Tour: https://bringingbackthenatives.net - "Backyard Bird Chronicles" by Amy Tan: https://amytan.net/backyard-bird-chronicles == iNATURALIST PROJECTS - Bird Food: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/bird-food - Coast live oak project: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/the-wonderful-diversity-of-life-on-coast-live-oak - The amazing biodiversity on Valley Oak: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/the-amazing-biodiversity-on-valley-oak - SF Bay Area Bugs and Birds: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/sf-bay-area-bugs-and-birds - South Bay BioBlitz Events: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/south-bay-bioblitz-events - KCCB and BioBlitz Club BioBlitz events: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/kccb-and-bioblitz-club-bioblitz-events

Naturalist Training - On the Wing In our 9th Naturalist training, we talk about bird migrations. Seasonal migrations can be marvels of biology, some spanning oceans, continents, or even the entire globe, while others can be as simple as descending from a mountain. Whether big or small, migration alters the brains, bodies, and behaviors of the birds we love, driving them to accomplish incredible feats of endurance, roll the dice on the chances food availability and poor weather, and can whittle individuals into mere shadows of their former selves. So why is migration a phenomena we see throughout the natural world? What rewards are worth the risks, and how do birds, some as small as your hand, manage to accomplish such journeys? We'll be discussing who is migrating to and through the San Francisco Bay Area at this time, what is driving them to make the journey, and how they manage to accomplish such a task. This is part 9 of an ongoing series. Presenters are Deb Kramer at Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful, Merav Vonshak at BioBlitz Club, and Carolyn Knight at Santa Clara Valley Bird Alliance. Recording date 12/11/24 Part 1 - Community Science and Introduction to iNaturalist @ https://youtu.be/ty2Fu7Trz8o Part 2 - A Deeper Dive into Inaturalist @ https://youtu.be/_7kJBpDutpg Part 3: Leaf Miners, Galls, and Other Creatures on Plants @ https://youtu.be/VJuyz19K4rQ Part 4: Nature Interpretation for the Rest of Us @ https://youtu.be/JqvADIulSQA Part 5: Serpentine Grasslands and iNaturalist Projects @ https://youtu.be/FKbxTt08bMA Part 6: Why City Nature Challenge Matters @ https://youtu.be/DYIyLdOmsSM Part 7: Aquatic Macroinvertebrates @ https://youtu.be/CivYOrl5vRE Part 8: Incredible Insects @ https://youtu.be/UbH8s59X--s == CHAPTERS 3:12 - Documenting Migrating Birds 7:01 - Migrating Birds 52:14 - Summer Migrating Birds 1:02:46 - Questions == RESOURCE LIST Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful: - Website: KeepCoyoteCreekBeautiful.org - Facebook: @CoyoteCreekSJ - Instagram: @CoyoteCreekSJ BioBlitz.club - Website: https://www.bioblitz.club/ - Facebook: @bioblitz.club Santa Clara Valley Bird Alliance - Website: https://scvbirdalliance.org - Facebook: @scvbirdalliance - Instagram: @scvbirdalliance == WEBSITES - Birdcast live maps: https://birdcast.info/migration-tools/live-migration-maps/ - Hawk Hill: https://www.parksconservancy.org/parks/hawk-hill - Geese sounds: https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/greater-white-fronted-goose - Ruby-crowned Kinglet sounds: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Ruby-crowned_Kinglet/sounds - SCVBA Environmental Action Committee (EAC): https://scvbirdalliance.org/getinvolved - South Bay Birds: https://groups.io/g/southbaybirds - Hooded Merganser nest: https://feederwatch.org/birdspotter-2018/female-hooded-merganser/ - Christmas Bird Count data: https://www.audubon.org/community-science/christmas-bird-count/where-have-all-birds-gone - Sequoia Audubon: https://www.sequoia-audubon.org/ == ARTICLES - World Trade Center: https://nycbirdalliance.org/blog/ensuring-this-year-s-9-11-tribute-in-light-was-safe-for-birds - More info about bird migration studies on eBird - https://science.ebird.org/en/status-and-trends/abundance-animations == iNATURALIST PROJECTS - Bird Food - https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/bird-food - Bird-Window Collisions - https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/bird-window-collisions - Dead Birds - https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/dead-birds - Albino & Leucistic Birds - https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/albino-leucistic-birds - Found Feathers - https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/found-feathers - Bird Tracks and Signs - https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/bird-tracks-and-signs

Naturalist Training - Incredible Insects In our 8th Naturalist training, talk about the magnificent insects that live around us. Insects are fascinating creatures - they are found in almost every habitat on Earth, they can feed on diverse food resources, and they look indestructible. But are they? During this interactive webinar, we will learn about the intriguing lives of insects: we will discuss different groups of insects and how to identify them. How can you tell if it's a bug or a beetle? What does a lady bug larva look like? What are these cicada molts we find on trees? We will explore techniques to find insects at home or on a hike, and how to document them using iNaturalist. This is part 8 of an ongoing series. Part 1 - Community Science and Introduction to iNaturalist @ https://youtu.be/ty2Fu7Trz8o Part 2 - A Deeper Dive into Inaturalist @ https://youtu.be/_7kJBpDutpg Part 3: Leaf Miners, Galls, and Other Creatures on Plants @ https://youtu.be/VJuyz19K4rQ Part 4: Nature Interpretation for the Rest of Us @ https://youtu.be/JqvADIulSQA Part 5: Serpentine Grasslands and iNaturalist Projects @ https://youtu.be/FKbxTt08bMA Part 6: Why City Nature Challenge Matters @ https://youtu.be/DYIyLdOmsSM Part 7: Aquatic Macroinvertebrates @ https://youtu.be/CivYOrl5vRE Co-hosts are Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful and BioBlitz Club Presenters are Deb Kramer, Merav Vonshak, Barbara Banfield, and Eddie Dunbar Recording date 8/28/24 == CHAPTERS 4:49 - Incredible Insects Introduction by Merav Vonshak 13:06 - Bees & Wasps by Barbara Banfield 41:01 - Beetles vs True Bugs by Eddie Dunbar 1:06:40 - Questions == RESOURCE LIST Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful: - Website: KeepCoyoteCreekBeautiful.org - Facebook: @CoyoteCreekSJ - Instagram: @CoyoteCreekSJ BioBlitz.club - Website: https://www.bioblitz.club/ - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bioblitz.club == BOOKS - Field Guide to California Insects, 2 edition, California Natural History Guides, Will, Gross, Rubinoff, and Powell, 2020 - Insects of North America, Princeton Field Guides, Abbott and Abbott, 2023 - Tracks & Sign of Insects and Other Invertebrates: A Guide to North American Species, Stackpole Books, Charney and Eiseman, 2010 == ABOUT BEES, WASPS, & FLIES - How to tell if a pollinator is a bee, wasp or fly slide show https://www.greatsunflower.org/node/1000250 - Black Soldier Fly https://cesanmateo.ucanr.edu/?blogpost=27407&blogasset=107918 - Bumblee look-alikes https://entomology.ces.ncsu.edu/biological-control-information-center/beneficial-look-a-likes/bumblebee-look-a-likes/ - California Bumble Bee Atlas: https://www.cabumblebeeatlas.org/ == iNATURALIST PROJECTS - The fly project - we can add that they also formed a community and they teach people how to ID flies - Insects of the San Francisco Bay Area: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/insects-of-the-san-francisco-bay-area - Flies of the US & Canada: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/flies-of-the-us-and-canada - Gall Week September 2024: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/gall-week-september-2024 == RELEVANT NATURALIST TRAININGS - Aquatic Macroinvertebrates: Learn more about aquatic insects and their larval stages https://youtu.be/CivYOrl5vRE - Leaf Miners, Galls, and Other Creatures on Plants: Learn more about insects and other organisms found on plants, and what can you do to help at the end of the webinar https://youtu.be/VJuyz19K4rQ - A Deeper Dive into iNaturalist: Learn how to document organisms on iNaturalist, and how to improve your observations - https://youtu.be/_7kJBpDutpg - Plant Galls for the Curious Naturalist: Learn more about galls https://youtu.be/7oUAuMlMUEQ

During our 7th installment of the Naturalist Training series, we focus on macroinvertebrates in our creeks. California boasts a wide range of wildlife on land and in the water. The water-based organisms not only function as food, but also characterize the health of streams. During this presentation, Shelley Pneh will share her excitement about these small but mighty creatures so you can apply your newfound knowledge to help determine the health of our waterways. She has contributed over 250 identified and photographed aquatic insects to CalPhotos, a digital natural history museum database. Presenters are Deb Kramer and Shelley Pneh Co-hosts are Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful and Grassroots Ecology == This is part 7 of an ongoing series. You can see the whole Naturalist Training playlist here: @ https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlDmox4fiBlouwq-K2q6l9N2LJxdp37yo&si=2QShRbjyfqn2PBln Part 1 - Community Science and Introduction to iNaturalist @ https://youtu.be/ty2Fu7Trz8o Part 2 - A Deeper Dive into iNaturalist @ https://youtu.be/_7kJBpDutpg Part 3: Leaf Miners, Galls, and Other Creatures on Plants @ https://youtu.be/VJuyz19K4rQ Part 4: Nature Interpretation for the Rest of Us @ https://youtu.be/JqvADIulSQA Part 5: Serpentine Grasslands and iNaturalist Projects @ https://youtu.be/FKbxTt08bMA Part 6: Why City Nature Challenge Matters @ https://youtu.be/DYIyLdOmsSM == RESOURCE LIST - Shelley Pneh, shelley@grassrootsecology.org - Facebook page @grassrootsecologypage - Instagram @grassrootsecology - Website http://www.grassrootsecology.org/ == BOOKS & ARTICLES Shelley Bug Guide @ https://angelo.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/59/Bug-Field-Guide-May-2018.pdf "An Introduction to the Aquatic Insects of North America" by Richard Merritt , Kenneth Cummins , Martin B Berg @ https://he.kendallhunt.com/product/introduction-aquatic-insects-north-america Hydrofoil-like legs on mayfly larvae by Ditsche, Hoffmann, Kaehlert, Kesel & Gorb @ https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00359-023-01620-2 Phylogenetic Distribution of Extant Richness Suggests Metamorphosis Is a Key Innovation Driving Diversification in Insects by James L. Rainford, Michael Hofreiter, David B. Nicholson, Peter J. Mayhew Tree topology shows evolution of insects where each ring represents 100 million years of evolution over nearly 500 million years @ https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0109085 == iNATURALIST PROJECTS Aquatic Macroinvertebrates in North America @ https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/aquatic-macroinvertebrates-in-north-america Recording date 6/12/24

During our 6th installment of our Naturalist Training series, we discuss the City Nature Challenge (CNC), a four-day global iNaturalist event, happening every year on the last weekend of April. Started in 2016, hundreds of cities from around the world come together in a friendly competition to document the most species and observations by the highest number of people. Topics covered help you to: 1. Understand what is the CNC and different ways you can participate. 2. Learn how to host your own event. 3. Gather some tips and tricks on how to find more biodiversity around you. This is part 6 of an ongoing series. Part 1 - Community Science and Introduction to iNaturalist https://youtu.be/ty2Fu7Trz8o Part 2 - A Deeper Dive into iNaturalist https://youtu.be/_7kJBpDutpg Part 3: Leaf Miners, Galls, and Other Creatures on Plants https://youtu.be/VJuyz19K4rQ Part 4: Nature Interpretation for the Rest of Us https://youtu.be/JqvADIulSQA Part 5: Serpentine Grasslands and iNaturalist Projects https://youtu.be/FKbxTt08bMA Presenters are Merav Vonshak and Deb Kramer == RESOURCE LIST Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful: keepcoyotecreekbeautiful.org BioBlitz Club: BioBlitz.Club iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA CalAcademy City Nature Challenge website: https://www.calacademy.org/community-science/city-nature-challenge City Nature Challenge 2024 San Francisco iNaturalist project: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2024-san-francisco-bay-area == GLOBAL CITY NATURE CHALLENGE City Nature Challenge: https://www.citynaturechallenge.org/ Global CNC project (if don’t live in a CNC city, and you’d need to join the project for your observations to count): https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2024-global-project Two global umbrella projects with all the cities: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2024-eurasia-africa-oceania https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2024-north-and-south-america == HOW TO HOST A BIOBLITZ Nerds for Nature, 10 Steps to BioBlitz: https://blog.nerdsfornature.org/post/64452358890/10-steps-to-bioblitz National Geographic, How to Host BioBlitz: https://media.nationalgeographic.org/assets/file/NationalGeographicBioBlitzGuide.pdf Recorded 4/17/2024

During our 5th installment of our Naturalist Training series, we focus on two subjects: 1. Serpentine grasslands Our main topic will be serpentine grasslands and the soil they form on. We will have a guest expert joining us for this section, Paul Heiple, who is a geologist and a plant expert. He will discuss the characteristics of serpentine soil and how only certain plants can grow on it, forming our serpentine grassland habitat that is home to many endemic plants. 2. iNaturalist projects How to create them, how to use them, and why! We will give examples of some of our favorite projects, and hopefully entice you to upgrade the way you use iNaturalist. Also, we will create a project together and add some observations! This is part 5 of an ongoing series. Part 1 - Community Science and Introduction to iNaturalist can be found at https://youtu.be/ty2Fu7Trz8o Part 2 - A Deeper Dive into Inaturalist can be found at https://youtu.be/_7kJBpDutpg Part 3: Leaf Miners, Galls, and Other Creatures on Plants can be found at https://youtu.be/VJuyz19K4rQ Part 4: Naturalist Training - Nature Interpretation for the Rest of Us can be found at https://youtu.be/JqvADIulSQA Presenters are Merav Vonshak and Paul Heiple == RESOURCE LIST iNaturalist https://www.inaturalist.org iNaturalist project on serpentine plants of the western US https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/serpentine-plants-of-the-western-united-states Vol. 1 of Ecology, Phytogeography & Physiology Series; "Serpentine and its Vegetation" R. R. Brooks "California Serpentines: Flora, Vegetation, Geology, Soils, and Management Problems" by Arthur R. Krucheberg INATURALIST PROJECTS LISTED IN THE PRESENTATION Amazing Aberrants ARThropod. Arthropods on snow Ask a Lichenologist Backyard Pollinators Bay Area Beach Blobs Coyote Creek Biodiversity Dock Fouling in California Fascinating Fasciation Flies of the US and Canada Found Feathers Funny common names Galls of California Home Compost Exploration Life in cow pats of the world Mystery Oak Leaf Skeletonizer Never Home Alone: The Wild Life of Homes + analysis North American Animal Tracks Database Open Space Authority Biodiversity Pacific Newt Roadkill (Main Project) Predators Scatology Serpentine Plants of the Western United States Skulls and Bones Snapshot Cal Coast 2023 The Pot Fouling Project UV fluorescent organisms And a few more worth mentioning - Animal Architecture Microscopy Mimicry Gallery The Butt End Of Nature seeds and fruits U.S. Terrestrial Nature and Plastic WeirdWildWonders Gall Week

During our 4th Naturalist Training, we will explore effective ways to share your passion for nature in this presentation by Michael Hawk from Jumpstart Nature. Learn to make any nature topic engaging. Whether a field trip, casual hike, or chance encounter, learn how to make any nature experience fun, engaging, and relevant. You’ll also learn how to connect with your audience and turn experiences into the beginning of a journey of discovery. This is part 4 of an ongoing series. Part 1 - Community Science and Introduction to iNaturalist can be found at https://youtu.be/ty2Fu7Trz8o Part 2 - A Deeper Dive into Inaturalist can be found at https://youtu.be/_7kJBpDutpg Part 3: Leaf Miners, Galls, and Other Creatures on Plants can be found at https://youtu.be/VJuyz19K4rQ Co-hosts are Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful, BioBlitz Club and Jumpstart Nature Recording date 2/7/24 == RESOURCE LIST BOOKS - Nature's Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation That Starts in Your Yard by Douglas W. Tallamy at https://bookshop.org/a/98007/9781604699005 - Interpreting Our Heritage by Freeman Tilden, who is often viewed as one of the pioneers in nature interpretation at https://bookshop.org/a/98007/9780807858677 WEBSITES - Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful at KeepCoyoteCreekBeautiful.org - Nature's Archive Podcast at https://naturesarchive.com - Jumpstart Nature at https://jumpstartnature.com - Jumpstart Nature Podcast at https://jumpstartnature.com/podcast/ - BioBlitz Club at bioblitz.club - iNaturalist at https://www.inaturalist.org/ - National Association for Interpretation offers resources, training, continuing education, and certifications in interpretation at https://www.interpnet.com/ - South Bay BioBlitz Events hosted by BioBlitz Club at https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/south-bay-bioblitz-events SOCIAL MEDIA - Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/coyotecreeksj/ - Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/CoyoteCreekSJ/ - Nature's Archive Instgram at https://www.instagram.com/naturesarchive - Nature's Archive Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NaturesArchive/ - Jumpstart Nature Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jumpstartnature/ - Jumpstart Nature Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/jumpstartnature - BioBlitz Club Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/bioblitz.club/ - BioBlitz Club Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/bioblitz.club

Naturalist Training - Leaf Miners, Galls, and Other Creatures on Plants During our 3rd Naturalist Training presentation, we will explore some of the fascinating and little-known creatures that live on plants. Galls are small structures induced by insects (usually) on many plant species, they may look like pink stars, fussy hairs, or apples. Leaf miners are tiny fly or moth larva that live between the two layers of the leaf. And there are many others, if you just look closely! This is part 3 of an ongoing series. Part 1 - Community Science and Introduction to iNaturalist can be found at https://youtu.be/ty2Fu7Trz8o Part 2 - A Deeper Dive into Inaturalist can be found at https://youtu.be/_7kJBpDutpg Co-hosts are Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful and BioBlitz Club Recording date 9/27/23 == RESOURCE LIST - Merav Vonshak merav.von@gmail.com - Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/bioblitz.club/ - Website https://www.bioblitz.club/, including a short discussion about useful gadgets here. - iNaturalist website: https://www.inaturalist.org == BOOKS - Secrets of the Oak Woodlands: Plants and Animals among California's Oaks, Kate Marianchild 2013 - Leafminers of North America – 2nd Edition – 2022 Charley Eiseman - http://charleyeiseman.com/leafminers/. - Plant Galls of the Western United States, Russo 2021 - Tracks & Sign of Insects and Other Invertebrates: A Guide to North American Species, Eiseman & Charney, 2010 - Nature's Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation that Starts in Your Yard, Douglas Tallamy, 2020 == WEBSITES - Homegrown National Park @ https://homegrownnationalpark.org/ by Douglas Tallamy, including a native plant finder and other resources - California Native Plant Society @ https://calscape.org/: find the perfect native plant to support life in your yard - The Xerces Society @ https://www.xerces.org/ == PODCASTS - Jumpstart Nature podcast @ https://jumpstartnature.com/category/podcast-episodes/ : The 1st episode will be released on 10/2, and it’s about the yard of the future. - Nature’s Archive podcast @ https://podcast.naturesarchive.com: Episode 79 is about Pollinator Friendly Yards @ https://podcast.naturesarchive.com/2023/09/11/pollinatorfriendlyyards/ - Science Friday: A recent segment about native bees and their relationship with native bees @ https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/local-native-bees/ == iNATURALIST PROJECTS Most of these are manual projects. To contribute observations, please join the project, and then manually select it from the project list. - The wonderful diversity of life on Coast Live Oak: @ https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/the-wonderful-diversity-of-life-on-coast-live-oak -- Our new project, created as an outcome of the presentation @ https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/local-native-bees/ - South Bay BioBlitzes A project including all 108 BioBlitz Club events! @ https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/south-bay-bioblitz-events - Galls of North America: For the entire continent @ https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/galls-of-north-america - Galls of California: California galls only @ https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/galls-of-california - Gall Week Umbrella Project A seasonal event documenting galls from around the world @ https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/gall-week-umbrella-project - Leafminers of North America iNaturalist project @ https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/leafminers-of-north-America == UPCMOMING EVENTS - Fall BioBlitz at the Palo Alto Baylands, Saturday, 10/14, from 9-11 am We’ll document the fall migration together, as well as Baylands plants, insects, and so much more! This event is with Environmental Volunteers. Info & RSVP @ https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fall-baylands-bioblitz-with-environmental-volunteers-tickets-686128568017 - BioBlitz at Coyote Creek Trail near McCarthy Rd, Sunday, 10/22, from 9:00-11:30 am This is a favorite fall event location, with migrating birds, beautiful spiders ready for Halloween, and more. This event is with KCCB. Info & RSVP @ https://www.eventbrite.com/e/coyote-creek-trail-bioblitz-registration-717040025017?aff=bb - North Coyote Valley Conservation Area (Laguna Seca), Sunday, 11/5, from 9-12 This event is with SCVAS. Info & RSVP @ https://www.bioblitz.club/event-info/north-coyote-valley-conservation-area-laguna-seca-november-bioblitz - Hellyer Park Fall BioBlitz, Saturday, 11/11, from 9-11:30 This event is with KCCB. More info and link will be available later on BioBlitz.club

This webinar was recorded during the Lorquin Entomological August 2023 meeting. Galls are intriguing plant structures induced by insects (usually), creating a sheltered home for the larval stages of the inducing organism. Galls have diverse and sometimes incredible shapes and colors, and their natural history is equally fascinating, with complex life cycles, tiny opportunistic parasitoids, and more! Dr. Merav Vonshak (Ecologist and Founder of BioBlitz Club) and Michael Hawk (Founder, Jumpstart Nature and host of Nature's Archive podcast) talk about gall biology, common host plants and gall inducers. They discuss how you can find and identify galls, with numerous examples including gall look-alikes.

Naturalist Training - A Deeper Dive into iNaturalist During the second presentation we will discuss how to make better observations, add them into projects, and how to add fields, tags, and annotations. All these features will help your observations stand out, and will make it easier for experts (and you!) to find it and use it. We will also demonstrate how to efficiently search and filter observations. All these features will not only improve the "quality" of your observations, but also your ability to learn from the process. This is Part 2 of a new series of naturalist presentations. Part 1 can be found at https://youtu.be/ty2Fu7Trz8o Co-hosts are Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful and BioBlitz Club Recording date 8/23/23 Resource List from Merav Vonshak - Merav Vonshak merav.von@gmail.com - Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/bioblitz.club/ - Website https://www.bioblitz.club/, including a short discussion about useful gadgets here. Some local organizations with great community science programs: - Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful – https://www.keepcoyotecreekbeautiful.... - Sequoia Audubon Society – https://www.sequoia-audubon.org/ - California Academy of Sciences – https://www.calacademy.org/citizen-sc... - Wholly H2O – https://whollyh2o.org/

Naturalist Training - Community Science and Introduction to iNaturalist This interactive presentation is an introduction to community science and iNaturalist. We will explain what iNaturalist is and how we use it at our BioBlitz events. You'll learn the "why" - why should you use the iNaturalist app, if you aren't doing so already, and how can you improve your experience, if you're already a user. We will provide examples of scientific studies using iNaturalist data in order to learn about our environment. This is Part 1 of a new series of naturalist presentations. Co-hosts are Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful and BioBlitz Club Recording date 7/19/23 Resource List from Merav Vonshak - Merav Vonshak merav.von@gmail.com - Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/bioblitz.club/ - Website https://www.bioblitz.club/, including a short discussion about useful gadgets here. A few community science programs I mentioned: North America: - **7/22-30** – National Moth Week – document moths at https://nationalmothweek.org/ - eBird – a huge database for reporting bird observations (global) at https://ebird.org - Zooniverse – help researchers analyze data of various studies at https://www.zooniverse.org/ - Firefly Atlas – for firefly observations at https://www.fireflyatlas.org/ - SOD – Sudden Oak Death blitzes at https://nature.berkeley.edu/matteolab/?page_id=148 - Rockd – app for recording geological observations at https://rockd.org/ Bay Area/ California: - The Newt Patrol project – https://www.bioblitz.club/newts - Data at https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/pacific-newt-roadkill-main-project-lexington-reservoir - City Nature Challenge – iNaturalist global event at https://www.citynaturechallenge.org/ - Snapshot Cal Coast – https://www.calacademy.org/calcoast - The Jasper Ridge Ant Survey – https://jrbp.stanford.edu/research/jrbp-ant-survey Some local organizations with great community science programs: - Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful – https://www.keepcoyotecreekbeautiful.org/ - Sequoia Audubon Society – https://www.sequoia-audubon.org/ - California Academy of Sciences – https://www.calacademy.org/citizen-science - Wholly H2O – https://whollyh2o.org/ ** if you’d like to hear more about the Newt Patrol or the Jasper Ridge Ant Survey – please email merav.von@gmail.com

When you think of climate change, one might think of wildfires, rising sea levels, and drastic changes in weather. Most people don’t think about the major conservation challenges induced by this issue and how it affects ecologies, shifts the distribution of many species, and introduces invasive intruders to new environments. In this episode of Google Maps Platform Customer Stories, we’ll explore how iNaturalist - a crowdsourced biodiversity recording platform and social network for people who love nature - uses Google Maps Platform to scale the collection of biodiversity data. Watch this video to learn how iNaturalist works, the problems it solves, and more! Resources: Check out iNaturalist → https://goo.gle/3WmlzuJ Check out our blog post →https://goo.gle/3K4Riye Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 0:40 - Why is the collection of biodiversity data important? 1:42 - What is iNaturalist? 3:38 - How does iNaturalist use Google Maps Platform? 4:57 - How did iNaturalist change the practice of BioBlitzes? 6:15 - What makes the iNaturalist community unique? 6:52 - Why is it vital to pay attention to ecologies? Watch more episodes of Google Maps Platform Customer Stories → https://goo.gle/3NDRzqs Subscribe to Google Maps Platform → https://goo.gle/GMapsPlatform #sustainability #nature