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

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.