
A crowd of intrepid young scientists brushed off Saturday morning rain to participate in the Berkeley BioBlitz. The BioBlitz was designed to be an intensive study of biodiversity on the UC Berkeley campus, and was one of over two dozen BioBlitz events held around California to celebrate the National Park centennial.
Photographer Kelly Sullivan put on her rain gear to chronicle the day for Berkeleyside.
Using the iNaturalist app, 32 different observers logged 290 observations of a total 54 species. The rain brought out the amphibians: the two most observed species were the California Slender Salamander (seven observations) and the Arboreal Salamander (six observations).

“The UC Berkeley campus is home to an amazing array of species,” said Jenny Mulholland-Beahrs, founder and director of the California Outdoor Engagement Coalition at the university’s College of Natural Resources. “We are thrilled to have this opportunity to work with our partners to connect local youth and adults with nature and with scientific research. Many of the participants don’t have a background in science, but they bring boundless curiosity and enthusiasm for learning new things. It’s a wonderful way for people to engage with the world around them, and to help foster a long-term sense of environmental stewardship.”
The Berkeley BioBlitz was hosted by the California Academy of Sciences, Save the Redwoods League, Berkeley Natural History Museums, and the California Outdoor Engagement Coalition, with support from the California Geographic Alliance.


Related:
Berkeley teams help make Oakland Christmas Bird Count the biggest in the world (12.23.15)
At 2014 Christmas bird count, no rain, much fun (12.18.14)
Local birders to flock to annual Christmas count (12.13.13)
First local sighting of Painted Redstart brings birders to Berkeley (11.18.13)
Christmas bird count is not just for birds (12.18.13)
Do you rely on Berkeleyside for local news? Support independent journalism by becoming a Berkeleyside member for $10 a month or even less, or by making a one-time donation.