ארכיון יומן של ספטמבר 2017

ספטמבר 9, 2017

Southeast Arizona... iNaturalist is a community!

I was mighty lucky to attend the Southeast Arizona iNat-athon on 20-26 August.

I was yet again reminded of what iNaturalist is... It's so much more than just a database or an app... It's a community. I met many fellow iNatters for the first time in person, although, truth be told, it seems like I'd already known them for quite a while!

Lots of folks were pretty hardcore observers -- most of the trip, we were documenting EVERYTHING. No creature was safe from our cameras! I tried to document as much as I could, although my photos are not nearly as good as the other folks that attended... I think something was off on my vibration reduction of my camera -- or maybe it was just my overwhelming excitement of seeing so many new things!

The entire trip was really phenomenal – I’ve been reliving the experiences as I go through my pictures of the bugs and plants. I’m going to be using the Southeast Arizona species that have already been documented on iNat to help me with some ID’s, but most of these things are new for me – if I’ve goofed on an ID, please let me know!

Also, here are the other observations from folks during the trip – far better photos than mine and can likely provide more information to aid with an ID:
BJ, Jay, James, Chris, Matt, Katja, Alan, Nathan, Matthew, Ken-ichi, Jason, Scott, Don

I hope I’m not leaving anyone out, and I’m sure that folks are still uploading observations, so the above links will change as people upload stuff.

Next year, Mexico! *fingers crossed!

הועלה ב-ספטמבר 9, 2017 02:26 לפנה"צ על ידי sambiology sambiology | 6 תגובות | הוספת תגובה

ספטמבר 17, 2017

How iNaturalist can guide land management...

Areas with biodiversity are healthier than those without.

It's one of those 'no-duh' statements that we all use as naturalists, but what's one way that we can measure biodiversity? Well, let's document the species!

I was joined with about 20 naturalists in a new nature preserve in Rockwall - Pettinger Preserve. In about 4 hours, we documented at least 200 species (so far). Check out the stuff we spotted:

http://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=121334

We're compiling the nice species list of the place as well:
http://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=121334&view=species

So what? What does it mean? Well, this is another example of how useful iNaturalist is in guiding management. The land now belongs to the City of Rockwall, and they'll be using this data to create trails, avoid certain areas with sensitive habitats, target the removal of invasive species, and restore certain habitats that are good for birds, mammals, and all other organisms.

Thanks to my fellow data collectors:
@tfandre @wildcarrot @dfwuw @brentano @fiddleman @cameralenswrangler @bogslogger @connlindajo @jasmineotto @donnadorman @jwn7882 @spqnancy @daniel112 @butterflies4fun @txstack @cwd912nb @bosqueaaron @elizrose @aguilita @jblinde Hope I didn't leave out anyone!

If you're willing to, please help us ID some of the observations taken in Rockwall County. This is part of a much larger project to document ALL species in Rockwall!

I use iNat for lots of reasons... here's another reason that you should too! Your observations help guide management decisions. :)

הועלה ב-ספטמבר 17, 2017 08:08 אחה"צ על ידי sambiology sambiology | 3 תגובות | הוספת תגובה

ספטמבר 25, 2017

Put it in your calendar! April 5 - 8 in Del Rio, Texas...

Friends, mark your calendars. April 5 - 8 (roughly -- maybe longer, if folks want) around Del Rio, Texas -- bioblitz/gathering!

I'm still working on the details, but after talking to some folks, it looks like April 5 - 8 is going to be the target time... Hopefully we get some winter rains that will cause the plants to bloom and bugs to come out. :)

Looking at a few places around Del Rio that we may go:
Amistad National Recreational Area: https://www.nps.gov/amis/index.htm
Devils River State Natural Area: https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/devils-river
Seminole Canyon State Park: https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/seminole-canyon
Kickapoo Cavern State Park: https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/kickapoo-cavern

Again, I'm still working on details of stuff, but mark your calendar if you think you might be interested in gathering with some fellow iNatters for camaraderie and seeing lots of cool things.

הועלה ב-ספטמבר 25, 2017 03:15 לפנה"צ על ידי sambiology sambiology | 42 תגובות | הוספת תגובה

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