Peninsula BioBlitz 2024's Journal

Hi Team,

The Peninsula BioBlitz 2024 has been a huge success thanks to all your participation!

We reached 1,416 observations this year! Almost half again as many as last year 😊 And this year we found 316 species!!! That is a big jump up from last year’s 254. Huge thanks to the 194 participants (observers and identifiers) that made this possible!

Here is how our BioBlitz contributed to the global City Nature Challenge:
City Observations Species People
Worldwide 2,436,844 65,682+ 83,528
Los Angeles County, California, USA 21,825 2,770 1,983
Peninsula BioBlitz 1,416 316 194

Our team provided over 6% of the observations in Los Angeles County!

Huge congratulations to Abbie for making both the most observations (179)!!!! and finding the most species (90)!!!! Impressive!!!! A very close second in observations, Cynthia has 175! Jess in 3rd at 96 and stumph in 4th (95), Cindy in 5th (82) and Hayden in 6th (70). Jess was in second for species with 74 (a number that I suspect will rise as more challenging IDs are made on his intricate macros of invertebrate life), Cynthia in 3rd (71), Stumph in 4th (54) Cindy in 5th (47) and Bernd in 6th (46). AMAZING WORK ALL!!!!

For the second year in a row the Western Fence Lizard is our most observed species (they certainly are photogenic and cooperative 😉)

We also received observations from all of the Nature Preserves and all of the accessible Reserves! Great coverage team 😊These observations help us learn more about what is out there. I am already looking through all of the invertebrates observed in George F Canyon to help choose species to highlight in our new nature center exhibits!

Thank you all for another fun and productive year! Looking forward to Peninsula Bioblitz 2025!!!!! And of course, don’t forget our Nature Preserve Biodiversity Projects on iNaturalist are year round so we welcome observations at any time of year!

Thank you,
Holly

Hi Team,

I can’t believe it!!!! 1,309 observations!!!!!! 300 Species!!!! This is amazing! And I continue to be awed by all of the stunning photographs!

Cynthia now has a solid lead in observations – 170!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Abbie in 2nd (123), Jess in 3rd (93), stumph in 4th (86) Hayden in 5th (70) Sharon in 6th (65). Jess has pulled into the lead of the most species observed – 73!!! (and wow are those macro pics of the wee critters amazing!!!!) Cynthia is close behind with 71 and Abbie with 67. Stumph is in 4th (52) Bernd in 5th (46) and Hayden in 6th (40) with Cindy just 1 behind that. Of course the numbers keep shifting as more observations are uploaded and more identifications made so we won’t be announcing final results until May 6. Awesome teamwork all!!!!

You have all done an incredible job - the 2nd annual Peninsula Bioblitz has far exceeded the first! This provides us with so much helpful information about all of the amazing species making a home in the preserves. The observation period closes tonight but you can still continue to post observations that were already made within the observation period. We will continue working away at identifications through the 5th and will announce the results on the May 6th!

A HUGE SHOUT OUT to all 47 amazing observers and to the 113 folks who have helped with identifications thus far!!!!

Thank you all for making this years BioBlitz such an incredible success!
Holly

Hi Team,

WOW!!!!! We have already surpassed last year's observation count (1,007) and are at 1,077!! We have also surpassed last year's 254 species and are already at 263 (a number that keeps rising as more identifications are made and seems to be rapidly rising as I am typing)! And, as far as I can see, we have observations in all of the Preserves and all of the accessible Reserves!

Things are getting close in the race for the most observations, Cynthia and Abbie are now tied for 1st with 102(!!!!!!!) observations each! Hayden is in 3rd (70), stumph is in 4th (60) and jim_g and Cindy are tied for 5th (56 each) with Sharon and Bernd just an observation or two behind!

The diversity being recorded is amazing. Abbie is holding the lead with 62 species!!! Jess is catching up fast with 60 (in the time I am typing this his species count jumped up from 50), Bernd is in 3rd (45) Cynthia is 4th (44) Hayden 5th (40) and jim_g is 6th (36).

The Western Fence Lizard is still leading as the most observed species - they certainly are photogenic and cooperative :)

I am again so very very impressed with all of the amazing photography!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't even begin to list favorites as I am finding more amazing pics each time I delve in. How lucky we are to have such amazing places to explore!

Not counted among the amazing photographs was my attempt to catch a pic of the striped racer that glided across the trail just in front of me (couldn't get my phone unlocked), then it made another dash across the trail just behind me (I spun around, fumbled with my phone again and managed to catch a distant pic of what looks very convincingly like an out of focus shadow of a stick in the trail - possibly the most questionable observation of the weekend lol).

Tomorrow (Monday the 29th) is the final day to make observations (yep one more day)! You then have from April 30 – May 5 to get everything uploaded (for those of you who work offline or with actual cameras etc) then final results are announced on May 6!

Finally, I wanted to give a shout out to everyone who is helping with identifications - HURRAY!!

Thank you all!
Holly

Hi Team,

AMAZING work out there today!!!! We have reached 760 observations!!! WOW - this puts us in a good position to top last year's 1007 observations overall. Also we are already at 218 species (last year we finished off with 254)!

Abbie is holding the lead in both observations (102!!) and Species (55!!!!) and Abbie your pics of the Gnatcatcher in the Bush Sunflowers are amazing!!! Huge shout out to all of the incredible photographers contributing - it is such a pleasure going through all the observations :) Cynthia is 2nd in observations (77), Hayden 3rd (70) Cindy 4th (56) and Bernd 5th (54) flambard 6th (42) - such impressive contributions!!!! As for species - Bernd is 2nd (45!!!) Cynthia 3rd (40!) Hayden 4th (39!) Cindy 5th (34) Patti 6th (30!) The Fence Lizard has taken over as the most observed species (it certainly was a perfect warm day for them).

I am so amazed by all the cool wildlife everyone is finding - definitely motivation to get out in the beautiful preserves to explore and so encouraging to see what a resource the preserves are providing. Let's see what we can find tomorrow!!!!!!

Thank you all!
Holly

Hi Team,

What a fantastic start to this year's BioBlitz!!! We are already at 133 species and the sun hasn't even set yet!

So far Hayden is leading the charge with the most observations and Bernd is leading the charge with the most species and Jess is coming in second for both. I was out all day chaperoning a Kindergarten field trip but will be back in action on identifications and observations over the weekend :)

I do love that our top 3 observed species are all plants - good job not forgetting our ever important photosynthetic friends!

Happy BioBlitzing!!!