NEVADA CITY, CA — Sierra Streams Institute is celebrating California Biodiversity Day by hosting a bioblitz through the iNaturalist app. This self guided event takes place on September 7th at Deer Creek Tribute Trail so you can contribute to science at a time that works best for you!
California Biodiversity Day was originally designated on September 7, 2018 as a way to celebrate California’s rich biodiversity. Our state has both the highest total number of species and the highest number of endemic species (i.e., those that occur nowhere else) in the country.
You might be wondering, what the heck is a bioblitz? A bioblitz is a biological survey of all living organisms in a designated area. One of the benefits of a bioblitz, over a traditional scientific field study, is the opportunity for the public to contribute to scientific data collection. Scientists (and the public) are able to access this data using iNaturalist for their research. This is especially important for tracking species over time where scientists can see what species are present during different seasons of the year.
Sierra Streams Institute’s bioblitz will be held on Deer Creek Tribute Trail and its surrounding trails. This will create a great base for understanding the species present during late summer/early fall around Deer Creek. It is also easily accessible from downtown Nevada City. Click here to join the iNaturalist project!
If you’re looking for a bit of a challenge, join the find 30 species challenge! Observe and photograph at least 30 wild animals, plants, or fungi from anywhere in California between Sept. 5 – 13th, and submit them to iNaturalist! You could very possibly make all 30 observations on September 7th! Those who observe 30 species through iNaturalist will get a free Sierra Streams Institute reusable steel cup!
New to iNaturalist? 1) Download the app on your phone and sign up, 2) join this project 3) photograph and submit at least 30 wild species in California as part of this state-wide nature challenge!
We are excited to host our first bioblitz and hope to host more in the future. To learn more about participating and for more information on using iNaturalist, check out our webpage: https://sierrastreamsinstitute.org/ca-biodiversity-day/
For more information Sierra Streams Institute’s work, visit www.sierrastreamsinstitute.org.
About Sierra Streams Institute
Sierra Streams Institute is a nonprofit research and education organization dedicated to understanding and protecting the watersheds of the Sierra Nevada. Through long-term environmental monitoring, ecological restoration, and community science programs, the organization works to ensure healthy rivers, forests, and ecosystems for both people and wildlife.