2024 Friends of Cave Creek Canyon BioBlitz's Boletim

Thank you all! We did it!

2024 Friends of Cave Creek Canyon BioBlitz is officially history. Forty-two observers post 489 observations, with 228 species identified. Sixty-nine identifiers are continuing to make our observations research grade as they confirm species identifications.

A huge thank you to all 42 observers! This includes many observers from the Center for Academic Success (Douglas AZ) 7th grade class who kicked off the project on Thursday, April 25. It also includes many community members from Portal, Paradise and Rodeo. Our highest contributor in terms of observations and species count, Tom, is a visitor from out of state who showed up as a supportive community member while visiting Cave Creek Canyon. Many thanks Tom! Many thanks to everyone who participated!

I had a great time and hope that everyone participating did too! What a tribute to the biodiversity and biological richness of Cave Creek Canyon. There are many questions that local students/young scientists can ask of the data reported in this BioBlitz. I am happy to help think about that with anyone who is interested.

Hope to see you all back the next time we host a BioBlitz in the canyon.

Margaret

Margaret Wilch
FOCCC Education Coordinator
FOCCCeducation@gmail.com

Observers :Thank you for your fantastic photos and observations! Gathering community observations in one space has been an incredible experience and it has been delightful to watch the project grow each day. I have thoroughly enjoyed meeting many observers out in the field this weekend and appreciate your enthusiasm for nature and our nonhuman neighbors. What a terrific community!

Identifiers: Thank you for reviewing the observations and helping to make our entries research grade!

Today is the final day of the BioBlitz so be sure to upload your observations to your iNaturalist account by midnight Monday April 29th!

Thank you! Thank you!

Margaret Wilch (aka mharger)
FOCCC Education Coordinator

Look at us go! As of this afternoon the community has documented 142 species with 219 observations uploaded by 21 observers! Woohoo! Despite the strong winds and cool temperatures, we have done a fantastic job of capturing the biodiversity of our beautiful canyon and mountains. Many thanks to all who have participated and it is not too late to join in the project!

The FOCCC BioBlitz project will be open through Monday April 29th to allow everyone to upload their observations to their iNaturalist accounts. Please go outside and enjoy this beautiful day in the canyon and the mountains. Take a walk down a road, a hike in the forest or sit by one of the branches of Cave Creek and look around at the life that surrounds you. Take photos with your camera or cell phone and then upload to your iNaturalist account by tomorrow night!

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the 2024 Friends of Cave Creek Canyon BioBlitz thus far! I am heading to the canyon shortly to document more species but first wanted to share this quick update:

The BioBlitz got off to a wild and windy start on Thursday, April 25th. Seventeen 7th grade students from Center for Academic Excellence (Douglas) braved the high winds and arrived at the Visitor Information Center (VIC) at 10:00 a.m. They spent the next five hours exploring the canyon as part of the FOCCC Education Program. The goal of the day was to enhance observation skills and encourage wonder and questioning.

A big shout out to volunteer Diane Hafeman and educators Ms. Lizette Gonzalez and Ms. Sharon Christie for modeling curiosity and sharing their enthusiasm for exploring Cave Creek Canyon with our young naturalists. None of the 17 students from Douglas had ever visited Cave Creek Canyon before. A huge thank you to all the students who participated in the program and who truly revealed themselves as young naturalists. Keep on looking and wondering.

Margaret Wilch
FOCCC Education Coordinator

Welcome!

Thank you for joining the Friends of Cave Creek Canyon in celebration of Community Science month. Our extended community of Portal, Paradise, and Rodeo resides in one of the most biodiverse and ecologically rich areas in the world so let's come together to document, celebrate, and honor the organisms that make the Chiricahua region so special. Community science includes observations from residents and visitors, students, families, nature enthusiasts, and professional scientists. Everyone is welcome to participate.

iNaturalist seeks to identify organisms, first using Artificial Intelligence to suggest a possible identity which is then confirmed or countered by individuals who are expert identifiers in particular groups of organisms (taxa).

To participate, follow these steps:

1. Make an iNaturalist account on your cell phone or computer.
2. Grab your camera or cell phone and head into Cave Creek Canyon between April 25th and 28th. Go out everyday if possible. Take a short walk, a leisurely hike or sit in one spot and look really closely to see what you find.
3. Take clear photos of plants, animals and fungi and be sure to include features that will help identify the organism. A photo of an entire tree is great but close up photos of its leaves, flowers, bark, cones, seeds or fruits are helpful in determining the species identity. The key to successful photos is to take several photos of each organism (and to discard any blurry photos).
4. Upload your best photos to your iNaturalist account. Any photos uploaded between April 25 and April 28 within the Chiricahua Mountains will automatically be upload into the Cave Creek BioBlitz Project.

We will be kicking off the Friends of Cave Creek Canyon Community Bioblitz with 7th grade students from Center for Academic Success Douglas on Thursday, April 25! Cannot wait to get started and cannot wait to see the photos roll in.

See you in the canyon!
Margaret Wilch
Friend's of Cave Creek Canyon Education Coordinator