Journal archives for May 2021

May 2, 2021

Thanks For All The Great Observations + Keep Up The Good Work

Great job everyone! We are in the second day of the City Nature Challenge and already have nearly 4,000 observations! We’ve also observed 630 different species. What a great way to highlight the diversity of the desert. If you’re unsure about identifying your observation you can simply put whether it is a plant or animal and other iNaturalist users can work on identifying later during identification days (May 4-9). Remember, documenting organisms in the middle of a city is just as important as documenting them in the wild. We are neck and neck with Albuquerque, and Tucson is catching up in the competition, so keep the observations coming!

Posted on May 2, 2021 02:25 AM by jenydavis jenydavis | 0 comments | Leave a comment

May 3, 2021

Final Day For Making Observations

We are in the final hours of the City Nature Challenge and want to make sure we take advantage of every minute. If you have free time today during lunch go for a walk and observe some nature or if you go out this afternoon make sure to snap some photos of interesting things and upload them to the app.

Albuquerque still has the lead over us in most observations, but not by much! Can we overtake them by the end of the day? Every observation matters! See the competition.

As a reminder, if you took photos but haven’t had a chance to upload them to iNaturalist, you may do so up until May 9. This will be strictly on the honors system so please be honest and only upload photos from that period of time.

Posted on May 3, 2021 06:28 PM by jenydavis jenydavis | 0 comments | Leave a comment

Final Observations for City Nature Challenge!

Hello Neighborhood Naturalists!

Today is the LAST DAY to make observations for the City Nature Challenge and we want to take advantage of every minute. If you have free time today during lunch, go for a walk and observe some nature or if you go out this afternoon make sure to snap some photos of interesting things and upload them. You can even take a night hike and see what you can find!

Albuquerque still has the lead over us in most observations, but not by much! Can we overtake them by midnight tonight? Every observation matters! See the competition.

As a reminder, if you took photos but haven’t had a chance to upload them to iNaturalist, you may do so up until May 9. This will be strictly on the honors system so please be honest and only upload photos from that period of time.

If you haven't joined in on the fun, there's still time! Join here.
More info about the Greater Phoenix Area CNC.

Posted on May 3, 2021 08:15 PM by jenydavis jenydavis | 0 comments | Leave a comment

May 4, 2021

That's a Wrap!

The observation part of the City Nature Challenge has officially closed and we want to thank all of you who participated in this year’s event. We were so astonished with the amount of observations, the wonderful photos everyone posted and the variety of things people captured. We hope all of you enjoyed your time adding observations while being outdoors and that you all learned something new along the way.

The official numbers will be announced on May 10, but as of right now we have 9,632 observations of 1061 species by 274 people! So impressive!

We will be working today through May 9 to identify your observations. If you’d like to be a part of this process, join us for one or both ID parties, scheduled on May 6 (virtual) from 6-7 p.m. and May 8 (in person) at the Environmental Education Center at Veterans Oasis Park from 9-11 a.m. You are also welcome to make identifications yourself, from the comfort of where you live.

Register for the virtual ID party.

Register for the in-person ID party.

Posted on May 4, 2021 03:24 PM by jenydavis jenydavis | 0 comments | Leave a comment

Wildfire Awareness Month and Events

May is National Wildfire Awareness Month and together, EcoFlora and the Central Arizona Conservation Alliance (CAZCA) are working to raise awareness and provide opportunities to learn about wildfire. We have virtual events planned with local experts, a series of blog posts filled with info, and this month's EcoQuest invites you to learn about and search for invasive plant species that fuel wildfire. You can also follow along with us on social (ecofloraphx) to learn about wildfire throughout the month.


🔥 Wildfire Events 🔥

ECOQUESTIONS with KARA BARRON
May 11 | 6-7 p.m. MST
In this EcoQuestions session, we hear from Kara Barron, who will discuss how Sonoran Desert plant communities respond to wildfire, how some individual plants respond and how a future with more frequent wildfires will alter the plant community composition.
Register Here

CAZCA SPEAKER SERIES: DR. HUNTER
May 18 | 6-7 p.m. MST
Join Dr. Molly Hunter to learn about the changing role of fire in southwestern habitats. We live in such a unique place, and as fire become a more common facet of our lives it’s important we understand their role and their impact on our deserts.
Register Here

CAZCA SPEAKER SERIES: DR. WILDER
May 26 | 5:30-7 p.m. MST
Join Dr. Ben Wilder to learn about the role of invasive plants in wildfires and other facets of fire in the Sonoran Desert.
Alarmingly, fire is becoming a more frequent occurrence in the desert. In this presentation, Dr. Wilder will discuss the 2020 Bighorn Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains outside Tucson as a case study.
Register Here

Posted on May 4, 2021 08:10 PM by jenydavis jenydavis | 0 comments | Leave a comment

May 7, 2021

Interesting Observations

Posted on May 7, 2021 11:42 PM by jenydavis jenydavis | 0 comments | Leave a comment

May 11, 2021

The Results Are In!

That’s a wrap! The official City Nature Challenge results were announced yesterday afternoon and we want to share them with you. Thank you to everyone who participated, we couldn’t be more excited about the results, especially for our first year!

Global Top Three:
Cape Town, South Africa, Washington, D.C, and Dallas/Fort Worth
Greater Phoenix landed as 30th in the world out of 419 cities!
Check out the global stats here.

Southwest Competition (Albuquerque, Phoenix, Tucson):
Albuquerque took first place, Greater Phoenix was second and Tucson took third. Congrats to Albuquerque!
Together we made 22,857 observations of 2,138 species by 823 people.
See the competition.

Greater Phoenix Area:
We had 9,702 observations of 1039 species by 283 people. 291 people also made identifications!
Top observer: @direwolfplayz with 1,729
Most species: @larivera with 239
Most identifications: @stevejones with 1,919
Congratulations! We will contact you all about your prizes.


If you enjoyed the CNC, check out the year-round programs offered by the co-organizers.



Metro Phoenix EcoFlora
The Metro Phoenix EcoFlora is a collaborative community science project of Desert Botanical Garden and the Central Arizona Conservation Alliance (CAZCA). You can think of this as a year round version of the City Nature Challenge! Join the project to learn about urban biodiversity, attend virtual and in-person events, and earn rewards for your observations.


City of Chandler-Community Services
The Community Services Department enhances the quality of life in Chandler through a vast provision of diverse and affordable educational and recreational experiences. Check out their ”Break Time” magazine for fun activities in every season.


Educating Children Outdoors
Through ECO, children learn about and explore nature through cross-curricular, hands-on, experiential activities, developing knowledge about, love for, and dedication to nature’s wonders. Check out their programs on their website and their iNaturalist project.


Thank you again to all of the amazing participants and collaborators. See you next year!

Posted on May 11, 2021 07:02 PM by jenydavis jenydavis | 0 comments | Leave a comment

May 13, 2021

Merit System Reminder

With the City Nature Challenge, many of you climbed up in the number of observations you've made. We wanted to take a minute to remind you about the EcoFlora Merit System! Earn rewards for your observations, including stickers, buttons, tee shirts, books, Desert Botanical Garden tickets and more. Virtual badges are also awarded so you can show off your observation accomplishments. To claim merits, fill out the merit system form, then we will verify and send out your goods!

Not sure what to do with your virtual merit badges? You can post them to social or keep them in an iNaturalist journal post. Check out an example here.

Observations that count toward merits are those that have been made within the project boundary since the start of the project on Feb. 6, 2020. Merits will begin being awarded at the level you have achieved as of March 1, 2021. Open to project members only, while supplies last.

Posted on May 13, 2021 07:07 PM by jenydavis jenydavis | 0 comments | Leave a comment

EcoQuestions with Kara Barron

Hi Neighborhood Naturalists,

If you missed EcoQuestions with Kara Barron, it is now up on our YouTube channel! See the Recording.

Kara discussed how plant communities respond to wildfire, as well as how some individual plants respond and how a future with more frequent wildfires will alter the plant community composition.

Kara is the Science and Outreach Manager at the Gila Watershed Partnership in Safford, AZ. As part of her position, she manages the seed collection program that supports restoration projects along the Upper Gila River. She graduated from ASU in 2018 with a master’s degree in Plant Biology and Conservation where she studied the impact of wildfire and restoration on plant community composition of the Arizona Upland subdivision of the Sonoran Desert.

Posted on May 13, 2021 08:42 PM by jenydavis jenydavis | 0 comments | Leave a comment

May 14, 2021

Metro Phoenix EcoFlora Badges

Posted on May 14, 2021 06:43 PM by jenydavis jenydavis | 0 comments | Leave a comment

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