Welcome to the 2024 Friends of Cave Creek Canyon Bioblitz

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

Posted on 25 de abril de 2024, 03:10 AM by mharger