Welcome ! We have been waiting for you!
CAlifornia naturalist course week 2!
We are at the beach Cleanup!
At the corner of PCH (Pacific Coast Highway & Warner) Cool education center and spot to start off a hike
We brought the nurdle patrol kit!
More on this on a later episode - Nurdles are the building blocks of all plastic pieces. They are small tiny plastic spheres that get loose off of cargo ships and elsewhere and lost in the ocean where marine animals think they are food.
Get your safety vest on and your trash picker upper!
Beautiful day down here in Bolsa Chica State Beach, CA
Unknown green stuff
This cool furry green soft fur was on top of this seaweed that we do normally see here off the coasts of California. We uploaded this image to iNaturalist and haven't had anyone come in to help us find out what exactly we are looking at. If you think you know or can help our tag out let us know!
Coil Worm
Spirobis spirobis
These are so tiny you can see the little grains of sand! they are stuck on a piece of kelp. We uploaded it to iNaturalist to see if we could get more details! Do you know more about this? Let us know!
Great Blue Heron
Ardea herodias
Brown Pelican
Pelecanus occidentalis
Tumor Stem Gall Midge
Asphondylia atriplicis
Tumor Stem Gall Midge
Asphondylia atriplicis
This is a side of the Reserve we had never explored!
Asphondylia atriplicis
This is Claire's project
This is Claire's project
She took trash she collected and created this beautiful brown Pelican.
CAlifornia naturalist course week 1!
We have Arrived!
At the corner of PCH (Pacific Coast Highway & Warner) Cool education center and spot to start off a hike
We are so Excited!
I can't believe we haven't ever stopped at this building
This is about our Course!
Just geeking out over here =)
We are in CLASS!
It's been a hot minute since we were in a class!
Joseph Grinnell
This was our first time hearing about him!
Great Egret at Bolsa Chica
(Ardea alba)
with some sorta fish in its beak!
Snowy Egret at Bolsa Chica
(Egret thula)
goin' in on something!
Least Sandpiper at Bolsa Chica
(Calidris minutilla)
Spring Mountain Ranch State Park Nevada
Entrance to this gorgeous park!
Chris Met the front gate gang They were amazing!!
Sonoran Scrub Oak
Smaller Leaves than the Blue and Black Oaks of California
Trail Map
Chris took the Neon Green Trail
"The Overlook loop"
Don't Ditch a fish Sign!
wow this is extraordinarily cool
if you need help humanely and properly re-homing an aquatic organism try your local facebook, nextdoor, or a local aquarium. We found the Las Vegas Fish Rescue:
Panoramic shot Chris took
click and zoom!
Buckhorn Cholla cactus
Singleleaf Pinyon Pine
Pinus monophylla
These Smell so Good!
Wilson Family Grave Site
Fence on the outside? What happened..?
California Broom Sage
Lepidospartum squamatum
Willow Pinecone Gall
Rabdophaga stobiloides (family Cecidomyiidae)
Narrow Leaf Yerba Santa
Western White Clematis
Clematis ligusticifolia
Spring Mountain State Park Nevada Gallery part 2
Watercress in the water!
Nasturtium officinale
Ashy Silk Tassel
Engelmann's Hedgehog Cactus
Echinocereus engelmannii
Cholla selfie
Look at this Vista!
Beautiful views!
Willow Pinecone Gall Midge
Willow Pinecone Gall Midge
Willow Pinecone Gall Midge
Willow Pinecone Gall Midge
Rabdophaga strobiloides
this is the first Gall species we have talked about that only houses one single organism!
https://bygl.osu.edu/node/2393#:~:text=Selected%20References%20(listed%20chronologically),593%2D603.
Willow Pinecone Gall Midge
Willow Pinecone Gall Midge
Willow Pinecone Gall Midge
Rabdophaga strobiloides
this is the first Gall species we have talked about that only houses one single organism!
https://bygl.osu.edu/node/2393#:~:text=Selected%20References%20(listed%20chronologically),593%2D603.
Willow Pinecone Gall Midge
Willow Pinecone Gall Midge
Willow Pinecone Gall Midge
Rabdophaga strobiloides
this is the first Gall species we have talked about that only houses one single organism!
https://bygl.osu.edu/node/2393#:~:text=Selected%20References%20(listed%20chronologically),593%2D603.
Chino Hills sp With LEif Richardson Xerces Fdn pt2
Valley Carpenter Bee Leif caught!
Xylocopa sonorina
Leif expertly shimmied this Bee into this tube so we could examine without harm. You can see how large they are!
Leif holding the Coyote Melon
Curcubita palmata is a plant that grows all over North America
Southern Bush Monkeyflower
Diplacus longiflorus
image from iNaturalist user: rocketelea
This is a beautiful native plant!
Squash Bee
Xenoglossa pruinosa
Photo credit iNaturalist user:
chrisearley
Mind blowing facts
Joel (Left) and Moe (Right) getting Bee facts nonstop from Leif (middle). Truly an encyclopedic knowledge about native bees.
Goof Balls
Taxonomy
(Goofus roundulses)
Leif holding a bee
We try to keep it together while Leif Holds a bee!
wow this is extraordinarily cool
We try to keep it together while Leif Holds a bee!
We try to keep it together while Leif Holds a bee!
We are so Lucky!
Group Photo!
Group Photo!
Thanks again Leif and Joel!
Chino Hills sp With LEif Richardson Xerces Foundation
Chino Hills State Park Discovery Center
Moe being very Vanna White (look it up kiddos) in front of the Chino Hills Discovery Center on the Carbon Canyon Rd side of the park.
Prepping for this adventure!
Lief with Butterfly nets!
Barefoot Joel Joins us too!
Western Honey Bee
Apis mellifera
They have their purpose!
California Harvester Ants
Joel saw this organism and told us about them. our first time seeing them
Valley Carpenter Bee
Valley Carpenter Bee
Xylocopa sonorina
These are LARGE organisms!
Nectar Robbing
Valley Carpenter Bee
Leif explaining primary and secondary nectar robbing. Our first time hearing of these interesting concepts! Nature is fascinating!
Mind blowing facts
Our brains exploded with this amount of information!
Chino Hills State Park Discovery Center Entrance
On a Map you can see its central to many folks in the Southern California region. Get out there and check it out!