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UPCOMING EVENTS

  • Coyote Meadows Winter BioBlitz event
    Coyote Meadows Winter BioBlitz event
    Sat, Jan 11
    San Jose
    Jan 11, 2025, 9:00 AM – 11:30 AM
    San Jose, Coyote Creek Trail, San Jose, CA 95116, USA
    Jan 11, 2025, 9:00 AM – 11:30 AM
    San Jose, Coyote Creek Trail, San Jose, CA 95116, USA
    Join BioBlitz Club, Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful, and Santa Clara Valley Bird Alliance for a winter BioBlitz in Coyote Meadows
  • Filoli Mushroom BioBlitz event
    Filoli Mushroom BioBlitz event
    Sat, Jan 25
    Woodside
    Jan 25, 2025, 9:00 AM – Jan 26, 2025, 12:00 PM
    Woodside, 86 Cañada Rd, Woodside, CA 94062, USA
    Jan 25, 2025, 9:00 AM – Jan 26, 2025, 12:00 PM
    Woodside, 86 Cañada Rd, Woodside, CA 94062, USA
    Join BioBlitz Club and the Filoli team for a winter event focused on mushrooms!
  • Winter BioBlitz at Hellyer Park
    Winter BioBlitz at Hellyer Park
    Sun, Feb 09
    San Jose
    Feb 09, 2025, 9:00 AM – 11:30 AM
    San Jose, 985 Hellyer Ave, San Jose, CA 95111, USA
    Feb 09, 2025, 9:00 AM – 11:30 AM
    San Jose, 985 Hellyer Ave, San Jose, CA 95111, USA
    Join BioBlitz Club and Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful for a winter BioBlitz at Hellyer Park!
Naturalist Training - On the Wing
01:15:23

Naturalist Training - On the Wing

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
01:39:12

Naturalist Training - Incredible Insects

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
Naturalist Training - Why City Nature Challenge Matters
55:27

Naturalist Training - Why City Nature Challenge Matters

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

VIDEOS AND MEDIA

BLOG

A BIT ABOUT US

Become a citizen scientist and help us document the diversity around us! We explore our local parks through public nature events - BioBlitzes. A BioBlitz is an event where a group of people tries to document as many species as possible in a specific time frame. It's a great way to get to know a place, local animals and plants, and collect real scientific data. 

If this sounds like fun, join us!

Bioblitz.club was founded in 2019 by Merav Vonshak. Merav has a PhD from the Tel Aviv University and has completed her postdoctoral studies at Stanford University. Merav has been organizing citizen science events for the past 10 years and she and her volunteers have documented numerous animals and plants in many events.  Bioblitz.Club brings the latest news, updates, special events, and more to our community of avid naturalists in the Bay Area.

We love nature, pride ourselves on being a fun and collaborative environment, and hope you will join us for an event soon.

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PAST EVENTS
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Jul 27

2019

Coyote Creek BioBlitz

Observations

Observers

22

580

Near the Anderson Reservoir Visitor Center in Coyote valley.  Organized in collaboration with Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful

Species

179

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Jun 16

2019

Alum Rock Park BioBlitz

Observations

Observers

19

715

A summer event at one of our favorite locations! Organized in collaboration with Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful

Species

266

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May 24

2019

Rancho Cañada Del Oro BioBlitz

Observations

Observers

3

202

In collaboration with Saved By Nature and Open Space Authority

Species

123

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May 4

2019

Little Uvas BioBlitz

Observations

Observers

13

777

In collaboration with Saved By Nature and Open Space Authority

Species

230

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Apr 30

2019

Santa Clara Valley Water District BioBlitz

Observations

Observers

20

191

A special event for Earth Day 2019. Organized in collaboration with Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful

Species

98

A BIT OF INSTAGRAM LOVE
Resources

Resources

Click to download the fliers we use as field guides (ask us if you need a file that is not here)

Fall Galls Flier

This flier includes some of the most common Bay Area galls found in the fall. Download, print, and go out searching for galls! 

Spring Galls Flier

This one has the Bay Area common spring galls. Although not as pretty and showy as the fall galls, these are still awesome! 

Bay Area Ant Flier

Learn about some of the common Bay Area ant species, both around your house and yard, and in natural habitats

South Bay Back Yard Birds

What bird species can you find in your back yard? Who is visiting your bird feeder? Get to know our local birds

Bay Area Spring Wildflowers

Get to know some of our local wildflowers using this flier. Go to a park near you, and open your eyes! 

CA Plant and Animal Memory Game

Keep those kids busy while learning some of our local plants and animals - poison oak, turkey vulture, and many others!

South Bay Aquatic Invertebrates

If you enjoy visiting streams, ponds, or any freshwater habitat, try out this guide - snails, dragonflies, beetles, and mites! 

Backyard Arthropods

Who lives inside your home and in your yard? Get to know your neighbor arthropods with our new flier! 

Late Spring Wildflowers

As it gets warmer, spring flowers go into seeds, and make space for the late spring or early  summer flowers

Home: Contact

JOIN THE CLUB

Excited about citizen science? Want to join the club?

Send me a mail pigeon, or you can do what cool kids do and sign up here (don't worry, we will never share your email with anyone) 

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