Bioblitzes: Discover Nature

Join the Bay Area Urban Species Search: connecting urban biodiversity to conservation planning! TOGETHER Bay Area and the California Academy of Sciences are joining forces to bring urban biodiversity data into the Conservation Lands Network – and we need your help!

March 17-31, look for and document these 24 species (or groups of species) throughout the places in the greater Bay Area where people live and work: cities, towns, suburbs, neighborhoods, backyards, schoolyards! When you find one, make an observation using iNaturalist, and it will automatically be added to our Bay Area Urban Species Search project. Sharing your observations will help us better understand how these species are using and benefiting from the urban environment and will allow us to highlight how the urban San Francisco Bay Area contributes to regional conservation. We're particularly interested in wild observations of these species in our urban areas. How many can you find? Can you find all 24?! Feel free to download and print this species grid to help you remember all of them and keep track of what you've seen.

Join the Treasure Island Development Authority, the San Francisco Department of the Environment, and the California Academy of Sciences for the 6th Annual Yerba Buena Island Bioblitz on Tuesday, April 11th!

We will work together to discover and document the nature of Yerba Buena and Treasure Islands! Event starts at 9:30 AM in the Treasure Island Building (1 Lobby One Avenue of Palms on Treasure Island). Drop-ins welcome anytime between 9:30am and 12:30pm.

The 8th annual City Nature Challenge is happening April 28 - May 1! If you're anywhere in the nine counties that touch San Francisco Bay, share observations of nature by taking photos using the iNaturalist app, and they'll automatically count for our San Francisco Bay Area City Nature Challenge project! 

Participate as an individual, or join in one of the many events happening around the Bay Area during the CNC! We've listed the ones the California Academy of Sciences is hosting below, but there are dozens of others also being hosted by our partners!

In support of the City Nature Challenge, join us for a bioblitz that will explore a varitey of habitats: the Pillar Point bluffs, reef, and harbor! We'll start by hiking the Pillar Point bluffs and exploring up there, then we will head back down to the parking lot, change into our boots, and journey down the trail to the tidepools for the low tide. After that, those that are feeling up for it can follow us to the harbor where we'll check out all the organisms that are growing on the underside of the docks.

Registration is free, but be sure to register so we know to expect you!

In support of the City Nature Challenge, join us for a bioblitz of San Francisco's largest city park: McLaren Park! Enjoy great views, wander through many habitats, and help us document all the species we can find in this unique and wonderful park. Fun fact: McLaren park was also the site of the first grassroots bioblitz using iNaturalist EVER, way back in 2011! 

Registration is free but be sure to sign up so we know to expect you!

We are lucky enough to partner with organizations who also host their own community science events. Check out their pages for some great upcoming bioblitzes, restoration days and more!

One Tam

California Center for Natural History

Bioblitz Club