Have a love of nature but no scientific background?
Bear Yuba Land Trust’s (BYLT) stewardship team invites “citizen scientists” – community members without a science background – to gather data at the beautiful 38-acre Nature Preserve known as Burton Homestead.
BYLT’s free event, Burton Bio Blitz will be held from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Sunday, May 1, rescheduled from an earlier event that was postponed due to rain.
Participants will create a database of biota by walking the property gathering data by taking photographs of flowers, plants, animals, insects, birds, etc. then uploading the images to the Burton Homestead Bio Blitz project page at www.iNaturalist.org.
“This will be the first of a series out on our preserves,” said Development and Programs Manager Melony Vance.
California Naturalists will be on hand as team leaders during the event. In preparation of the event it is recommended that participants download the free iNaturalist app to their smart phones prior to the big day. Traditional cameras are also welcome. This free outing is fun for the whole family.
Participants can choose to identify the subjects they photograph or if they are unsure, expert web managers of the iNaturalist site will help identify species.
Burton Homestead is a Land Trust preserve with a diversity of ecosystems: Meadows, oak and mixed conifer forests, wetlands, ponds and a network of woodland trails. Tree species include sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana) and black oak (Quercus kelloggii). Interesting forbs include sulphur pea (Lathyrus sulphureus), small whit nemophila (Nemophila hererophylla) and snake lily (Dichelostemma volubile). Fauna found in the area include black bear (Ursus americanus), mountain lion (Puma concolor) and California towhee (Pipilo crissalis).
In 2008, students from UC Berkeley’s School of Information envisioned iNaturalist.org as part of a final project. Since then, the site has grown through numerous collaborations. In 2014 the California Academy of Sciences acquired iNaturalist.
BYLT saves land, builds trails and offers programs to get people outdoors and appreciate nature in the Bear and Yuba watersheds of the Sierra foothills.
Learn more about the iNaturalist app.