Saturday and Sunday, March 2nd and 3rd, 2019
Please check this page continually for updates
The Border BioBlitz is a two-days communal citizen-science effort to record as many species as possible along a 1 kilometer stretch on each side of the U.S.-Mexico border. The Next Generation Sonoran Desert Researchers and collaborating organizations invite teams of independently organized teams of researchers and community members to document the stunning biological diversity of the borderlands at several key sites. To join the discovery, all you need is to join or start a team and a smartphone with the iNaturalist app (free for Android and iOS).
Please click here for frequently asked questions
Follow this tutorial for how to use iNaturalist
iNaturalist page
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/border-bioblitz-bioblitz-de-la-frontera
Bird Observations
Want to start a new team?
The Border BioBlitz is carried out by independently organized teams along the border. Each team is responsible for organizing and leading all aspects related to their outing.
If you would like to start a new team, please fill out this Google Form
If you would like to join a team, check the following list:
Location: Offshore Marine Survey (San Diego).
Survey date: Saturday, March 2nd.
Team leader and email: Sula Vanderplank; sula.vanderplank@gmail.com.
Organization: Botanical Community Development Initiatives.
Logistic information: A small marine science team will leave from San Diego bay and spend Saturday morning documenting marine biodiversity. Limited space available.
Location: Playas de Tijuana.
Survey date: Sunday, March 3rd.
Team leader and email: Michelle María Early Capistrán, earlycapistran@gmail.com; Mirna Borrego Lazalde, mirna@terrapeninsular.org
Organization: Next Generation Sonoran Desert Researchers; Terra Peninsula
Logistic information: The meeting point will be at 9 a.m. at the Playas de Tijuana lighthouse. We will have a quick iNaturalist training and orientation. From there, we will split up into smaller groups and carpool or walk to the sampling sites, which are about 1 km south.
What to bring: Be sure to wear comfortable clothes and shoes. Bring your smartphone with the iNaturalist app, water, lunch and sun protection, as well as a raincoat or poncho in case of rain. Please be sure to join the iNaturalist project after downloading the app and creating your account: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/border-bioblitz-bioblitz-de-la-frontera.
Location: Tijuana Estuary – Border Field State Park.
Survey date: Saturday, March 2nd.
Team leader and email: Lauren Marino Perez, lmperez@sdnhm.org; Sula Vanderplank, sula.vanderplank@gmail.com.
Organization: San Diego Natural History Museum and Botanical Community Development Initiatives.
Logistic information: Meet at the Tijuana Estuary Visitor Center in Imperial Beach at 8:00am and at 12pm for quick on-site iNaturalist training and orientation. We will break into smaller groups from there and head into areas in Border Field State Park and Tijuana River Estuary.
More info: Partake in the BioBlitz for as little or as long as you would like. You MUST attend the orientation and sign a liability waiver to participate. All ages welcome! Anyone under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Stay for as long or as little as you would like.
*In the event of significant rainfall, BioBlitz surveys at Border Field State Park will be cancelled due to sewage-contaminated floodwaters. Trails at the Tijuana Estuary Visitor Center are not affected by contaminated floodwaters.
What to bring: CLOSED-TOE SHOES/BOOTS ARE REQUIRED FOR THIS PROJECT. Pants and long-sleeved shirts are highly recommended. Be sure to bring your smartphone, enough water, lunch and sun protection. It is very important that all participants have the iNaturalist app downloaded to their smart phone and that it has enough battery for taking photographs the whole day, or you can carry an extra storage device. You can join the Border Blitz iNaturalist project once you have downloaded the app: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/border-bioblitz-bioblitz-de-la-frontera.
Event website: San Diego Natural History Museum event website, https://www.sdnhm.org/
Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/
Location: Arroyo Alamar/Cerro San Isidro
Team leader and email: Josue Campos, josue.campos2011@gmail.com
Organization: CNPS-Baja California Chapter/Jardín Botánico San Quintín
Logistic information: Saturday, March 2 at 8 in the morning. The meeting point is in the parking lot of the Wal Mart of the Insurgentes Macroplaza, in the 3rd stage of the Río Tijuana. From there we will explore the southern and northern slopes of Cerro San Isidro and then visit the Arroyo Alamar on the south side of Otay Mountain.
Location: Otay Mountain and Otay Mesa.
Team leader and email: Charlie de la Rosa, Ryan Fitch, Bianca Bonilla; charlie.delarosa@gmail.com.
Organization: Botanical Community Development Initiatives, Next Generation Sonoran Desert Researchers.
Logistic information: Our Bioblitz locations will be in the Otay Mountain Open Space Preserve and Otay Mesa. We will all meet at 8:00AM, March 1st at the Hollenbeck Canyon Wildlife Area, in the parking lot near the trailhead on Honey Springs Rd. in Jamul for a mandatory, on-site training and orientation. 4-wheel drive, high clearance vehicles will be necessary for the Otay Mountain survey. We can arrange carpooling on-site and there will be some seats available in 4WD vehicles, but we strongly encourage people to coordinate prior to coming. Please let us know if you can bring a 4WD vehicle. Closed-toed shoes or boots are required for this project. Pants and long-sleeved shirts are highly recommended. Be sure to bring your smartphone, enough water, lunch and sun protection. It is very important that all participants have the iNaturalist app downloaded to their smart phone and that it has enough battery for taking photographs the whole day. Bring an extra charging device if you think you’ll need it. You can join the Border Blitz iNaturalist project once you have downloaded the app: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/border-bioblitz-bioblitz-de-la-frontera. You must attend the orientation and sign a liability waiver to participate. All ages welcome! Anyone under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Stay for as long or as little as you’d like. See you there!
Location: Binational Friendhsip Garden of Native Plants.
Team leader and email: Daniel Watman, dan.watman@gmail.com
Organization: Friends of Friendship park
Logistic information: This could be a sub-group or sub-visit if there are people identifying on Monument Mesa. A few volunteers will be working in the garden starting at a 10a where there are couple hundred native plants (around 25 different species). Many are transplants but there are also natives in the immediate area.
Event website: Binational Friendship Garden page
Location: Cienega Redonda, Tecate
Survey date: Saturday and Sunday, March 2nd and 3rd
Team leader and email: Jorge H. Valdez, Melba Alvarez; j_h_valdez@yahoo.com.mx
Organization: Fauna del Noroeste and Club de Herpetología UABC
Logistic information: We will meet in front of Soriana, located between San Marino and Playitas, to leave all together at 10:00 am from there to the Cienega Redonda Ranch, where will be camping. If you can’t go with us from Ensenada, will be waiting for you there!. Bring your camping gear, flashlight, comfortable clothes and your own food and water. Also bring your camera and cell phone with the iNaturalist app. If you don’t have a car, communicate with the team leaders to see if there is space in any of the cars.
Event website: https://www.facebook.com/
Location: Jacumba Wilderness in the Imperial County
Team leader and email: Bianca Bonilla, Sula Vanderplank; bianca@plantspeoplecommunity.org
Organization: Botanical Community Development Initiatives
Logistic information: A team will conduct a two-day survey, staying overnight in the Jacumba wilderness.
Location: Laguna Mexico, Mexicali, Mexico (Ramsar site)
Survey date: Sunday, March 3rd
Team leader and email: Biol. Carlos Roano Ornelas and César Angulo; salvelaslagunas@gmail.com
Organization: Salvemos las Lagunas
Logistic information: Este Bioblitz lo realizaremos en el margen poniente de la Laguna México, un sistema lacustre con categoría de Humedal Ramsar, ubicado al Sur de Mexicali. El punto de reunión será en el inicio del Sendero Ecológico de la Laguna México, puedes ubicar en el lugar aquí. La hora de inicio es a las 8:00 am. Te recomendamos vestir ropa y calzado adecuado para caminata, traer agua y un snack. Los participantes deberán traer cámaras fotográficas o teléfonos inteligentes con la aplicación Naturalista para subir a esta plataforma sus registros. Guías de aves, plantas y fauna silvestre serán de gran utilidad. Puede encontrar más información del evento en la página de facebook “Salvemos las Lagunas”.
This Bioblitz will be done in the Western margin of Laguna Mexico, a lake system with a Ramsar Wetland category, located to the South of Mexicali. The meeting point will be at the beginning of the Ecological Trail of the Laguna Mexico, you can locate in the place here. The start time is at 8:00 a.m. We recommend you to wear clothes and shoes suitable for hiking, bring water and a snack. Participants must bring cameras or smartphones with the iNaturalista app to upload their records to this platform. Guides of birds, plants and wildlife will be very useful. You can find more information about the event on the facebook page “Save the Lagoons”
Website event: https://www.facebook.com/events/509349896256210/
Location: San Luis Río Colorado, Sonora
Survey date: Saturday and Sunday, March 2nd and 3rd
Team leader and email: Alejandra Calvo Fonseca; alexcafo@gmail.com
Organization: PRONATURA Noroeste
Logistic information: We will meet up at Pronatura Office at 7 am in San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora; we gonna have 3 teams to cover Colorado river and restorations sites, Santa Clara cienega and el doctor wetlands as well. The Saturday, March 2nd, we will visit the sites Ciénega de Santa Clara y Humedales del ejido el Doctor, and the Sunday, March 3rd, part of the limítrofe zone in the river.
Website event: https://es-la.facebook.com/
Location: La Herradura, Delta del Río Colorado.
Survey date: Saturday, March 2nd.
Team leader and email: Gabriela González & Helen Salazar; ggonzalez@sonoraninstitute.org
Organization: Sonoran Institute México
Logistic information: When? Saturday, March 2nd at 6:00 am. We will departure from La Herradura, one of our restoration sites located in the Wetland System of the Colorado River Delta, Ramsar Site 1822.
Why? We want to invite you to know the biodiversity of the Ramsar Sites of the border.
Do I need to know the flora and fauna of the area to participate? No, we will form teams and you will be accompanied by experts in flora and fauna identification. In addition, the activity is to know, learn and have fun!. You only need to bring a camera or cell phone with camera, binoculars if you have them and water and lunch.
How can I participate? Sign up by sending an email to ggonzalez@sonoraninstitute.org, there you will receive directions, meeting point, etc.
Website event: https://www.facebook.com/
Location: Organ Pipe Cactus NM (working with ORPI staff on exact location)
Survey date: Sunday, March 3rd.
Team leader and email: Aaron Cooper; aaron@isdanet.org.
Organization: International Sonoran Desert Alliance.
Logistic information: Call the ISDA office to sign up and for details: 520-387-3570. You can also sign up at the Sonoran Shindig in the historic Ajo Plaza on Saturday March 2nd, 9am-2pm. ISDA will have a table at the event with a signup sheet and offer tutorials on the iNaturalist app.
Event website: https://www.facebook.com/events/319071885407505/
Location: Quitobaquito, Nación Tohono o’odham (Sonoyta-Lukeville).
Survey date: Sábado 2 de marzo
Team leader and email: Auster Ramirez en Arizona,Tokya Casimiro y Sandra Rocha en Sonora; pinacates.sonora@gmail.com
Logistic information: The border port of Sonoyta-Lukeville is located in the middle of desert plains and some mountain ranges, such as the Sierra del Cubabi. The predominant vegetation is columnar cacti, among which the saguaro and the pitahaya stand out. Sonoyta in the word Tohono o’odham means “place where water is born” and today that worldview is fulfilled: Quitobaquito is a wetland that maintains a population of pupo desert, as well as poplar, aquatic plants and much more to discover in this inventory.
The fieldwork will be done in two points, 1) In the area designated as Quitobaquito, in Organ Pipe National Monument in Arizona, and 2) in the vicinity of the ejido Morelia, Sonoyta, Sonora
The appointment is at 9:00 am on Saturday, March 2, in the central plaza of Sonoyta and from there will be two vehicles, one to the Morelia ejido and another to the Organ Pipe National Monument Visitor Center, we ask those interested to please. residing in the United States, see you at the visitor center at 10:00 am.
It is necessary to have a smartphone charged 100 percent, or have a camera. It is the desert, we always recommend to load at least 2 liters of water, some lunch, hat and clothes that cover the skin of the solar rays. Any questions or comments please contact pinacates.sonora@gmail.com or send an inbox to https://www.facebook.com/PinacatesCienciayCultura/.
Location: Sycamore Canyon, Coronado National Forest.
Survey date: Sunday, March 3rd.
Team leader and email: Julia Rowe, jrowe@desertmuseum.org.
Organization: Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.
Logistic information: Call or email Julia Rowe at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum for sign-up and more information. (520) 883-3014, jrowe@desertmuseum.org.
Event website: Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/events/437570440320490/).
Location: Central Cochise County.
Team leader and email: Kalman Mannis; mannisk@azscience.org.
Organization: Bisbee Science Lab
Logistic information: Email Kal Mannis to confirm interest. Meet at 8:00am in the north lot of Safeway in the San Jose Ward, Bisbee. Prepare for wild land hiking with sturdy shoes, a liter of water, a fully charged smart phone, a day-pack for notebook/camera/snacks etc.
Location: Murray Springs, San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area
Survey date: Saturday, March 2nd
Team leader and email: Mark Apel; mapel@cals.arizona.edu
Organization: Bisbee Science Lab
Logistic information: We will be meeting at 9:00 am on Saturday, March 2 at the Murray Springs parking area off of Moson Road, east of Sierra Vista and north of Highway 90. It will be an easy round trip hike from the parking area to the confluence with the San Pedro River that should take a total of 3 hours for observations.
Location: Cuenca Los Ojos Rancho San Bernardino Sonora, Mexico
Survey date: Saturday, March 2nd.
Team leader and email: Emma Rocio Fajardo; emma@skyislandalliance.org.
Organization: Sky Island Alliance.
Logistic information: We will met at the Sky Island Alliance headquarters in Tucson, AZ at 7:00 am on Saturday, March 2nd and carpool down to our site near Agua Prieta, Sonora. We will explore the property in search of species to document and camp there for the night (everyone bringing their own food). On Sunday, March 3rd we will do a quick restoration project cleaning a spring then head back home. High Clearance vehicles only.
Location: Antelope Wells, New Mexico – El Berrendo, Chihuahua
Team leader and email: Emmanuel Bernal; pinacates.sonora@gmail.com
Organization: Pinacates
Logistic information: Antelope Wells is a mysterious border entry, actually is the smallest among the border entries between USA and México. Antelope Wells refers to the pronghorn Antilocapra americana, so it’s gonna be amazing if we can see pronghorns and BioBlitz all the species around. We are looking for people from Sonora and Chihuahua in México and people from New México and Arizona in the U.S. The Border entry of Antelope Wells is open daily from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, may be our team will be the only crossing of that day.
Location: Rio Bosque Wetlands Park, El Paso, TX.
Survey date: Saturday, March 2nd
Team leader and email: John Sproul, Kevin Bixby, Amanda Munro, Amberly Barry; amanda@wildmesquite.org.
Organization: Southwest Environmental Center.
Logistic information: Call the Southwest Environmental Center (575-522-5552) for sign-up and more information.
Location: Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park.
Team leader and email: Stefanie Herweck; ernest6h@gmail.com.
Logistic information: We’ll be meeting at the Visitor center and start the BioBlitz in the gardens surrounding that area. Bring water and comfortable clothing as well as the iNaturalist app downloaded on your phones. Cameras are also great.
Event website: https://www.facebook.com/events/537826263390217/?ti=ia.
Learn more, see the 2018 Report
Disclaimer
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All teams are independently organized. N-Gen and/or collaborating organizations are not responsible for organizing teams.
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Each team and/or participant is responsible for securing licenses and/or permits and alerting or coordinating with authorities if necessary.
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All BioBlitz participants are individuals participating on a voluntary basis, and assume any and all risks involved.
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N-Gen and/or collaborating organizations are not responsible for participants’ actions during the BioBlitz.
