My fist visit (with Darwin) since the spring sun. So much to see. The celandines and violets are on their way out, but the grounds are covered with forget-me-nots, anemones, and of course bluebells. Many birds, although it's hard to get good pictures with a phone. However, I uploaded a recording - see if you can identify it. I encourage everyone to come out and see what you can spot!

Wikipedia Weekly Network - Live editing Wikipedia: Biodiversity edition #3 #EarthDay Honoring #EarthDay​, Users Siobhan Leachman, Andra Waagmeester, Mike Dickison, Albin Larsson and Jan Ainali are joined by iNaturalist co-founder Ken Ichi to discuss and showcase how iNaturalist is used in Wikimedia. We'll start with the new property iNaturalist place ID in Wikidata and see where our discussion leads us. Join in the chat to ask questions during the session.

Join one of our trips to discover and record Wellington's biodiversity. Don't worry if you haven't used iNaturalist - we can show you!

Saturday 1 May: Wellington Botanical Society trip (non-members are welcome). Opau Stream valley and Opau Bay from the West Wind Farm. Meet at the West Wind Farm carpark at 9:10am (note that the electronic gate at the bottom of Opau Road will only open at 9am). Leaders: Lara Shepherd and Leon Perrie (Lara.Shepherd@tepapa.govt.nz; phone 027 363 5854). Further info, including what to bring, is on the Wellington Botanical Society website: http://www.wellingtonbotsoc.org.nz/trips_2021.html

Sunday 2 May: 10am Ōtari bushwalk - meet at the carpark. Leader - Lara Shepherd (Lara.Shepherd@tepapa.govt.nz; 027 363 5854)

Sunday 2 May: 11am Kayak trip. BYO kayak and lifejacket. Meet at the Island Bay Surf Club. Leader - Celia Wade-Brown.

Sunday 2 May: 2pm Coastal plant walk. Meet at Tarakena Bay carpark. Leader - Carol West (carolwest@xtra.co.nz)

Sunday 2 May: 3pm - Beach walk/rockpooling with a focus on fish and seaweeds - meet Moa Point carpark (opposite the dog pound). Leader - Andrew Stewart (contact via Lara Shepherd: Lara.Shepherd@tepapa.govt.nz; 027 363 5854).

I create this topic conversation because I find and I must not be the only one (https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/4593938), that it is difficult to distinguish the difference between Pinus uncinata and P.mugo, especially between their subsp ( Pinus mugo subsp. mugo, Pinus mugo subsp uncinata, or also Pinus uncinata subsp uncinata…). The documentation on this topic (on web or in the flora) isn’t clear.

I’m throwing a bottle into the sea, I’m launching a debate to get some answers, some details on the differences between Pinus mugo and P.uncinata subsp.
https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/pinus-mugo-or-pinus-uncinata/22320

Дорогие друзья, коллеги, единомышленники, любители живой природы!
До начала мероприятия остается неделя. Есть время проверить для подготовки - освободить память в смартфонах, фотоаппаратах, позаботиться о зарядке, продумать маршруты для наблюдений. Новичкам рекомендуется попробовать свои силы и освоить iNaturalist до начала соревнований. Несмотря на то, что в зачет идут все наблюдения живой природы, основное наше внимание все-таки будет сосредоточено на растениях, поэтому не будет лишним еще ознакомиться с краткими рекомендациями Алексея Серегина о том как правильно их снимать:
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/flora-of-russia/journal/37806?fbclid=IwAR1tFNFPDX181WX6mIN_4JsA3LJsrfMPpm8GHdfyQZn0b7nklR6Wocsrtdc
Если нужна помощь или консультация - обращайтесь к более опытным участникам сообщества iNat. При необходимости можно организовать небольшой мастер-класс по работе с приложением

Next week this time we will all be busy observing, or planning our observing after work.
And following progress around the world at this link: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2021

So what are your plans?

Just do some casual observations?
or do you have a quest? To visit your local nature reserve or open space and record all the spiders and plants (or birds and butterflies) there?
Or to visit as many nature reserves as you can and recording the common and special snails and millipedes (or whatever tickles your fancy: bees, bulbs, beetles?).

If you are are a little short of ideas, why not draw some inspiration from some of these projects. I guess the aim is to see which area makes the most interesting and useful observations (and not simply numbers, but that counts too):

Nature Reserves: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/nature-reserves-parks-of-cape-town
Tidal Pools: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/cape-town-tidal-pools
Wetlands: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/wetlands-of-cape-town
&
Ants: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/ant-atlas-of-cape-town
Chameleons: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/chameleons-of-cape-town-atlas
Alien Insasions devastating our trees: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/polyphagous-shothole-borer-beetle-pshb-atlas-s-afr
&
Schools https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/cape-town-school-nature-challenge
Scouts https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/scouts-south-africa &
Girl guides https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/girl-guides-south-africa-cape-town

or why not join in one of the many bioblitzes and bashes organized for the event: see -
https://www.facebook.com/CitynaturechallengeCT/events/
A little practicing beforehand will be useful, and afterwards you may be inspired to contribute to one of the projects above.

So load up the app, get some practice and get inspired.

Remember:
All Cape Town nature reserves will have free entry.
Free entry to Kirstenbosch if you can prove your participation at the gates with the app loaded on your smartphone.
Free entry to Cape Point section of Table Mountain National Park for participants who prebook on registered events.

If you have any ideas, or are looking for a partner in your quest, please respond below ...

Spilostethus longulus :

Salalah, Oman, by Moayed Salim Bahajjaj

Desertical species, often found on the ground, under the host plants, such as Calotropis procera. In North Africa, Arabia and Near East. Elongated, head is red with black patterns. Apex of scutellum is red.

Spilostethus macilentus

Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, by nickypegg

Much similar to S. longulus, to the point it was, at first, confused with it by its author, Carl Stål. A Southern African species, differs from longulus by its overall, darker habit. Head mostly black, apically and basally around the eyes, with either a "Y"-shaped red pattern, or but a simple, faint, red patch. Scutellum red apically.

Дорогие друзья!

Этой весной Волжский впервые участвует в City Nature Challenge! Наша страница: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2021-volzhsky-russia-vne-zachyota . Подписывайтесь на неё, чтобы не пропустить новости.

Не забывайте: КУЛЬТУРНЫЕ РАСТЕНИЯ И ДОМАШНИЕ ЖИВОТНЫЕ НЕ УЧАСТВУЮТ! Ищите и снимайте объекты дикой природы.

City Nature Challenge - это глобальное четырехдневное мероприятие, которое проводится в конце апреля. Ему шесть лет. Его задача простая - с помощью участников задокументировать биоразнообразие городов мира. Люди ходят и фотографируют на свои смартфоны и фотоаппараты растения, грибы и животных и загружают их фото на портал соревнований с помощью приложения или сайта iNaturalist. В 2020 году, несмотря на пандемию, в CNC участвовало 244 города и 41 тыс. человек (https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2020).

В 2021 г. снова будут участвовать города России - как в официальном мировом (Москва, Севастополь, Петропавловск-Камчатский, Иркутск), так и в неофициальном российском (Новосибирск, Екатеринбург, Челябинск, Орехово-Зуево, Тюмень, Тверь, Ханты-Мансийск, Тула, Алушта, Чебаркуль, Уфа, Томск, Пенза, Волжский) зачётах. Чтобы наблюдения из неофициального российского зачёта всё же попали в международный проект, в этом году введена новая возможность: нужно подписаться на экстерриториальную страничку (создана для участников, города которых участвуют вне зачёта или не участвуют вовсе). Такие наблюдения попадут в общий CNC через личный зачёт.

Для того, чтобы хоть как-то успешно выступить мы хотим поднять интерес в СМИ и в соцсетях. Ваши посты в соцсетях о CNC 2021 на вес золота! Табло российских соревнований: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2021-russia - подписывайтесь. В России для участия в CNC используются приложения iNaturalist и Seek или сайт inaturalist.org.

Все подробности тут:
https://lomonosov-msu.ru/rus/event/6647/
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/flora-of-russia/journal/47508-city-nature-challenge-2021-vazhnye-novosti

Даты проведения челленджа в 2021 г.:

• 4 дня наблюдений в природе: с 30 апреля по 3 мая;
• 6 дней загрузки и определения наблюдений: с 4 мая по 9 мая;
• результаты будут подведены 10 мая 2021 г.!

Кое-что о соревнованиях:
http://citynaturechallenge.org/
https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_Nature_Challenge
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_Nature_Challenge
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2021

Сейчас уже 114 человек сделали хотя бы одно наблюдение на iNaturalist в Волжском (https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=170836&subview=table&verifiable=any ). Это неплохой показатель, который позволит Волжскому не затеряться в российском зачёте. Всех зовём в нашу команду! Табличка со статистикой ниже дана в информационных целях, чтобы оповестить потенциальных активных участников. Эти наблюдения к статистике соревнований не относятся. Старт 30 апреля 2021 г.

Мы рады сообщить вам о новом участнике City Nature Challenge в России! Сегодня стал известен семнадцатый город. Итак, новым участником мероприятия стал город Волжский Волгоградской области (https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2021-volzhsky-russia-vne-zachyota ), впервые участвующий в российском зачёте.

City Nature Challenge - это глобальное четырехдневное мероприятие, которое проводится в конце апреля. Ему шесть лет. Его задача простая - с помощью участников задокументировать биоразнообразие городов мира. Люди ходят и фотографируют на свои смартфоны и фотоаппараты растения, грибы и животных и загружают фотографии на портал соревнований с помощью приложения или сайта iNaturalist. В 2020 году, несмотря на пандемию, в нем участвовало примерно 244 города и 41 тыс. человек (https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2020).

В 2021 г. снова будут участвовать города России - как в официальном мировом (Москва, Севастополь, Петропавловск-Камчатский, Иркутск), так и в неофициальном российском (Новосибирск, Екатеринбург, Челябинск, Орехово-Зуево, Тюмень, Тверь, Ханты-Мансийск, Тула, Алушта, Чебаркуль, Уфа, Томск, Пенза, Волжский) зачётах.

Вашего города нет в этом списке? Не беда! В этом году организаторы международного челленджа сделали всем приятный сюрприз: даже если ваш город не присоединился к челленджу или принимает участие только в неофициальном российском зачёте, то подписавшись на глобальный проект, ваши наблюдения попадут в личный зачёт всемирной акции. Здорово, правда?

Но это ещё не всё! Любой любитель природы из России, который находится за пределами городов-участников челленджа, может присоединиться к сборной России, которая будет выступать под девизом "Мой город не участвует!" Нужно лишь подписаться на эту страницу. Сборная составит конкуренцию самым активным городам и будет стимулировать борьбу для общего блага - сбора данных о биоразнообразии нашей страны.

Для того, чтобы хоть как-то успешно выступить мы хотим поднять интерес в СМИ и в соцсетях. Ваши посты в соцсетях о CNC 2021 на вес золота! Табло российских соревнований: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2021-russia - подписывайтесь. В России для участия в CNC используются приложения iNaturalist и Seek или сайт inaturalist.org.

Все подробности тут:
https://lomonosov-msu.ru/rus/event/6647/
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/flora-of-russia/journal/47508-city-nature-challenge-2021-vazhnye-novosti

Даты проведения челленджа в 2021 г.:

• 4 дня наблюдений в природе: с 30 апреля по 3 мая;
• 6 дней загрузки и определения наблюдений: с 4 мая по 9 мая;
• результаты будут подведены 10 мая 2021 г.!

Подробности о соревнованиях:
http://citynaturechallenge.org/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_Nature_Challenge
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2021

Мы рады сообщить вам о новом участнике City Nature Challenge в России! Сегодня стал известен семнадцатый город. Итак, новым участником мероприятия стал город Волжский Волгоградской области (https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2021-volzhsky-russia-vne-zachyota ), впервые участвующий в российском зачёте.

City Nature Challenge - это глобальное четырехдневное мероприятие, которое проводится в конце апреля. Ему шесть лет. Его задача простая - с помощью участников задокументировать биоразнообразие городов мира. Люди ходят и фотографируют на свои смартфоны и фотоаппараты растения, грибы и животных и загружают фотографии на портал соревнований с помощью приложения или сайта iNaturalist. В 2020 году, несмотря на пандемию, в нем участвовало примерно 244 города и 41 тыс. человек (https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2020).

В 2021 г. снова будут участвовать города России - как в официальном мировом (Москва, Севастополь, Петропавловск-Камчатский, Иркутск), так и в неофициальном российском (Новосибирск, Екатеринбург, Челябинск, Орехово-Зуево, Тюмень, Тверь, Ханты-Мансийск, Тула, Алушта, Чебаркуль, Уфа, Томск, Пенза, Волжский) зачётах.

Вашего города нет в этом списке? Не беда! В этом году организаторы международного челленджа сделали всем приятный сюрприз: даже если ваш город не присоединился к челленджу или принимает участие только в неофициальном российском зачёте, то подписавшись на глобальный проект, ваши наблюдения попадут в личный зачёт всемирной акции. Здорово, правда?

Но это ещё не всё! Любой любитель природы из России, который находится за пределами городов-участников челленджа, может присоединиться к сборной России, которая будет выступать под девизом "Мой город не участвует!" Нужно лишь подписаться на эту страницу. Сборная составит конкуренцию самым активным городам и будет стимулировать борьбу для общего блага - сбора данных о биоразнообразии нашей страны.

Для того, чтобы хоть как-то успешно выступить мы хотим поднять интерес в СМИ и в соцсетях. Ваши посты в соцсетях о CNC 2021 на вес золота! Табло российских соревнований: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2021-russia - подписывайтесь. В России для участия в CNC используются приложения iNaturalist и Seek или сайт inaturalist.org.

Все подробности тут:
https://lomonosov-msu.ru/rus/event/6647/
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/flora-of-russia/journal/47508-city-nature-challenge-2021-vazhnye-novosti

Даты проведения челленджа в 2021 г.:

• 4 дня наблюдений в природе: с 30 апреля по 3 мая;
• 6 дней загрузки и определения наблюдений: с 4 мая по 9 мая;
• результаты будут подведены 10 мая 2021 г.!

Подробности о соревнованиях:
http://citynaturechallenge.org/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_Nature_Challenge
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2021

Мы рады сообщить вам о новом участнике City Nature Challenge в России! Сегодня стал известен семнадцатый город. Итак, новым участником мероприятия стал город Волжский Волгоградской области (https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2021-volzhsky-russia-vne-zachyota ), впервые участвующий в российском зачёте.

City Nature Challenge - это глобальное четырехдневное мероприятие, которое проводится в конце апреля. Ему шесть лет. Его задача простая - с помощью участников задокументировать биоразнообразие городов мира. Люди ходят и фотографируют на свои смартфоны и фотоаппараты растения, грибы и животных и загружают фотографии на портал соревнований с помощью приложения или сайта iNaturalist. В 2020 году, несмотря на пандемию, в нем участвовало примерно 244 города и 41 тыс. человек (https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2020).

В 2021 г. снова будут участвовать города России - как в официальном мировом (Москва, Севастополь, Петропавловск-Камчатский, Иркутск), так и в неофициальном российском (Новосибирск, Екатеринбург, Челябинск, Орехово-Зуево, Тюмень, Тверь, Ханты-Мансийск, Тула, Алушта, Чебаркуль, Уфа, Томск, Пенза, Волжский) зачётах.

Вашего города нет в этом списке? Не беда! В этом году организаторы международного челленджа сделали всем приятный сюрприз: даже если ваш город не присоединился к челленджу или принимает участие только в неофициальном российском зачёте, то подписавшись на глобальный проект, ваши наблюдения попадут в личный зачёт всемирной акции. Здорово, правда?

Но это ещё не всё! Любой любитель природы из России, который находится за пределами городов-участников челленджа, может присоединиться к сборной России, которая будет выступать под девизом "Мой город не участвует!" Нужно лишь подписаться на эту страницу. Сборная составит конкуренцию самым активным городам и будет стимулировать борьбу для общего блага - сбора данных о биоразнообразии нашей страны.

Для того, чтобы хоть как-то успешно выступить мы хотим поднять интерес в СМИ и в соцсетях. Ваши посты в соцсетях о CNC 2021 на вес золота! Табло российских соревнований: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2021-russia - подписывайтесь. В России для участия в CNC используются приложения iNaturalist и Seek или сайт inaturalist.org.

Все подробности тут:
https://lomonosov-msu.ru/rus/event/6647/
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/flora-of-russia/journal/47508-city-nature-challenge-2021-vazhnye-novosti

Даты проведения челленджа в 2021 г.:

• 4 дня наблюдений в природе: с 30 апреля по 3 мая;
• 6 дней загрузки и определения наблюдений: с 4 мая по 9 мая;
• результаты будут подведены 10 мая 2021 г.!

Подробности о соревнованиях:
http://citynaturechallenge.org/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_Nature_Challenge
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2021

Nature is a good thing we have, but we are destroying than in the same way we destroy bad things. Nature is very important for humans but we are not sure about that. The articles talk about the things we should learn to make the earth a better place. The earth is our home and who will like a place where they don't care about their home. We as the next generation we need to be better than the people that had the opportunity to change the world but they decide no to. The goal around the is to clean our planet but nobody do the correct thing because we are afraid about that.

One thing we should learn is to live in a harmonious way no matter what!

Nature is a good thing we have, but we are destroying than in the same way we destroy bad things. Nature is very important for humans but we are not sure about that. The articles talk about the things we should learn to make the earth a better place. The earth is our home and who will like a place where they don't care about their home. We as the next generation we need to be better than the people that had the opportunity to change the world but they decide no to. The goal around the is to clean our planet but nobody do the correct thing because we are afraid about that.

One thing we should learn is to live in a harmonious way no matter what!

http://graellsia.revistas.csic.es/index.php/graellsia/article/view/636

Hi everyone I just wanted to say hi and tell you guys what I did on i naturalist today. Even though I doubt anyone reads it but I guess you would have to be to see this. So today in class we went out to our school's native garden and made some observations this is our first time doing it. I can't speak for all my classmates but I can speak for myself and all I have to say is that I love it. The only thing I don't love about this is bugs.... I hate bugs so do not expect me to make any observations about bugs. If you like bugs you do you. Just not the thing for me anyway. I choose some observations to associate with this post so I chose the Norway Maple tree, Genus Selliera (A name I will never remember), and last but not least the GREAT sagebrush.... wait what great..? I don't think so the name... like come on. Common sagebrush? why common sagebrush I get it's probably common but this really makes me think the area I am in is so special and unique LOL. For crying out loud. Anyway, If you think I have is identified anything please let me know, if not agree with it. please just give me some grace though I am still new to the game. Ba Bye!!

P.S. If you know my name please do not say it in any comments on any post or observations I make or If I comment on yours, Thank you.

Por confirmar por la comunidad.
Primer registro de un reyezuelo corona amarilla en la colonia Romero de Terreros, Coyoacán

Hey did you know that many of the west valley mayors proclaimed today as White Tank's Wild Day?
How cool is that? Go out and enjoy this beautiful weather at one of your favorite parks! Remember to keep our wildlands wild:-)

Conservation Team - ASSEMBLE!
It's almost time for the City Nature Challenge (April 30th - May 3rd). This year we have some friendly interstate competition within Texas, and we need your help to ensure Houston reigns supreme (and most importantly, that we beat Dallas)! If you haven't used iNaturalist in a while, dust off the app and make a few observations before the challenge starts to get your feet/claws/pseudopods underneath you. Then, get out on the Spring Creek Greenway and start bioblitzing! There are some great events going on along the greenway, with bioblitzes at Jesse Jones Park as a great way to rack up species. Or, just take your phone out to your backyard or local green space. This is your opportunity to contribute to community science, so let's show the best part of the world (aka Texas) what we have to offer! Let me know if you have any questions, or if you have an event that could use some cross promotion. You can follow Team Houston-Galveston on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. @hougalcnc

Yours in nature fandom,
Suzanne Simpson

En el marco del ciclo de charlas virtuales por el día de la Tierra, organizadas por Berisso Sustentable, éste sábado 24 de abril a las 18hs Cristian Klimaitis (integrante de Casa de Cultura de Berisso) estará hablando de las mariposas del monte ribereño, particularmente de Berisso, Buenos Aires.
Se transmitirá por la plataforma Zoom, y los datos para unirse son:

• Meeting ID: 882 6409 4272
• Passcode: 1ik73R

Hello Everyone,

We made a short video this evening showing how the quality assurance volunteers work. see below

As with may of these things there are many ways to do the same job and I've showed off a few of them in the video. Hopefully you can dip in to a level that is comfortable for you.

We are also going to run a few more online training sessions with lots of opportunities to ask questions. You can assess those from the link below. Starting on Tuesday May the 4th at 7pm. Then fortnightly thereafter. We'll run them for a few sessions and see how much we need to carry them on. Once we are up and running we may reduce them, and possibly start running some i.d. training as well.

video link
https://youtu.be/5toNJmKmdoA

meeting link - on Microsoft Teams.
Tuesday 4th May 7pm, then fortnightly
https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_MDdmMTNlYzktZjRmNy00NDZiLThjM2ItNDEzN2E4ZGY2NTc2%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22d5c19ee5-aeba-4d8c-aeb5-dd8755f7d8b0%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%2228803e85-70c0-49fd-8929-97beab19337e%22%7d

My name is Mindy and I am the Environmental Education Specialist at Little Buffalo State Park. We are excited to start a Biodiversity project here at the park to categorize all of the amazing wildlife here! Please submit as many observations as you can, from lichens and mushrooms to birds and fish. We want it all!

Webinar: City Nature Challenge 2021 How-to & What to Expect to See
When: Tuesday, April 27⋅8:00 p.m. ET | Who: EwA Initiative | Register for free here

We’re getting ready for the 2021 City Nature Challenge! Learn how to observe and record urban biodiversity and make it count!

Between April 30th and May 3rd, hundreds of cities worldwide will be celebrating Nature and gather observations of species found in our area with the help of all who want to participate in the worldwide 2021 City Nature Challenge (CNC). Such events are known as Bioblitz events.

Here we show how to 'iNat' (using the iNaturalist app in the field) and what you can observe in the Greater Boston area at this time of the year. You'll also learn how to protect species and habitats while you're documenting them.

Join us! It's fun and insightful. It's a great opportunity to connect with nature, deepen wildlife ethics, and help science while getting to learn about our communities and their biodiversity!

🎟️ https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cnc-2021-how-to-what-to-expect-to-see-tickets-147181037445

Main Page

The JUICE program is a widely used non-commercial software package for editing and analyses of phytosociological data. It is continually developed since 1998 at the Masaryk University in Brno, Czech Republic. Program functions are fully described in English manual. It makes use of the previously-developed TURBOVEG software for entering and storing such data and it offers a quite powerful tool for vegetation data analysis. Various options include classification using COCKTAIL, divisive and aglomerative classification methods, calculation of interspecific associations, fidelity measures, average Ellenberg indicator values, preparation of synoptic tables, automatic sorting of relevé tables, and export of table data into other applications (text editors, table processors or mapping packages).

JUICE is optimised for use in association with TURBOVEG version 2 and 3 which is the most widespread database program for storing phytosociological data in Europe. However, three other import formats are available for other users.

JUICE supports connections with other mapping or classification software:

TWINSPAN - table classification and sorting (freeware; JUICE installation package)
PC-ORD - automation of Cluster Analysis, fast sort of relevés by clusters (commercial software)
SYN-TAX - export of tables in SYN-TAX format files (commercial software)
CANOCO - export of Cornell condensed files (commercial software)
GIS programs - export of latitude, longitude coordinations from header data
R-PROJECT - automation of species respose curves and DCA, PCA & NMDS analyses

Hi Naturalists,

Chicago is joining the City Nature Challenge (CNC) on April 30. Thousands of people worldwide will be sharing their photos of urban flora and fauna. Join participants from over 350 cities around the world by using iNaturalist to share your observations of wild plants and animals in the Chicago Metro area. Your observations become data that helps scientists better understand and protect nature for all of us.

Join LPZ's project here: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/lpz-virtual-city-nature-challenge-bioblitz

And join the overall Chicago CNC project here: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2021-chicago-metro

Once you've joined the project, all observations you make between April 30-May 3 will automatically be uploaded. If you'd like a refresher training from LPZ scientists, register for our kickoff on Zoom here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lpz-virtual-bioblitz-city-nature-challenge-2021-registration-148834972409

Thanks for reading, and happy spring!

~ the LPZ bioblitz team

Hi Naturalists,

Chicago is joining the City Nature Challenge (CNC) on April 30. Thousands of people worldwide will be sharing their photos of urban flora and fauna. Join participants from over 350 cities around the world by using iNaturalist to share your observations of wild plants and animals in the Chicago Metro area. Your observations become data that helps scientists better understand and protect nature for all of us.

Join LPZ's project here: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/lpz-virtual-city-nature-challenge-bioblitz

And join the overall Chicago CNC project here: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2021-chicago-metro

Once you've joined the project, all observations you make between April 30-May 3 will automatically be uploaded. If you'd like a refresher training from LPZ scientists, register for our kickoff on Zoom here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lpz-virtual-bioblitz-city-nature-challenge-2021-registration-148834972409

Thanks for reading, and happy spring!

~ the LPZ bioblitz team

As National Native Plant Month continues Nationally, we look forward to continuing the focus on native plants by enjoying and identifying the flowering plants, including those beautiful maples, that are in abundance during May, with our NPSO Wildflower Appreciation Month Bio Blast. This year, due to sunshine rather than showers in April, many are ahead of schedule. Make sure that you have set your iNaturalist projects to capture all that you do and view. Let us know what you find that is remarkable.

Welcome Everyone!

It's great to have you join the City Nature Challenge (CNC) and take part in something truly special. 2021 is the first year that Barrett, The Honors College will be joining Macaulay Honors College in this global bioblitz to increase awareness and documentation of urban ecology. This year's CNC represents one of the first initiatives to kickoff the Justice and Equity Honors Network (JEHN), which will leverage our colleges' partnership to address issues of systemic inequity.

At today's Kickoff Event, we will be starting slow, explaining the intent behind the CNC, getting to know one another, and running through the mechanics of logging observations through iNaturalist. This challenge is designed to be a fun and rewarding use of time. For those in the middle of final exams or prepping for the end of the year, taking a few moments outside can be an incredible study break and leave you feeling refreshed, so please be kind to yourself in these next few weeks by building in breaks from your studies. Our challenge starts today and the official CNC takes place April 30 - May 3, 2021. Each observation will help the scientific community understand the biodiversity of participating areas, something that is only possible with the contributions of citizen scientists like you!

These community actions pave the way for deeper conversations about biodiversity and urban planning. Considering the JEHN's charge to create new definitions and understandings for achieving equity, it’s important to consider how residential segregation has come in many forms throughout history and has contributed to an unequal distribution of nature within cities. Empirical data suggests that this segregation through various policies and practices have led to reduced exposure to the natural environment amongst communities of color and low-income populations. The CNC promotes a physical exploration of biodiversity amidst the built environment, and this process can help us understand how our lives may look and feel different from others who live in different parts of our cities. Seeing first-hand how one’s location may impact biodiversity is a great introduction into how location can also impact a community’s access to greenspaces, clean air, fresh food, and more. As we dive deeper into the topic of environmental justice/racism, we begin to understand how a community’s lack of biodiversity can negatively impact the overall mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing of its inhabitants.

So how can our challenge help overcome these difficult realities within our cities? Well, the complexity of these issues often require stakeholders from many different fields to come together, which has proven to be difficult when identifying sustainable solutions. By sharing this experience amongst the brightest students in our nation, we start to build a contingency of passionate scholars who can usher in a new era of collaboration to address the sources and manifestations of systemic racism.

We hope you're excited for the 2021 CNC and invite you to comment below with some initial thoughts, tips for first-timers, questions, or a simple introduction. This initiative is far too rewarding to experience alone, so please engage with each other, continue the dialogue, and have fun with it.

We're looking forward to seeing our impact during this challenge and hope you all have an incredible finish to your week!

• Macaulay and Barrett CNC Committees

Hello Partiers for the Planet!

Today is Earth Day and the kickoff to our Virtual Party for the Planet. If you have not registered for our virtual cleanup yet, you can do so here: https://reservations.ncaquariums.com/fortfisher/Info.aspx?EventID=66

Regardless if you sign up with us to hold your own cleanup, we'd love for you to still connect to nature with us by snapping your pictures of the plants and animals you find outside. What will you find?! You have the next 30 days (until Endangered Species Day on May 21st) to find out!

Warm hours see the greatest activity. Popular butterfly habitats include:
Backyard-
Herb Garden: Monarchs around the Asclepias tuberosa - aka Butterfly Weed description orange and red flowers on 1-3' tall perennial
Backwall, North Corner: Variety of visitors on Buddleja davidii, aka Butterfly Bush description - Tall shrub dull green foliage and spike of deep purple fragrant flowers just starting

Forecourt & Herb Garden: Mourning Cloaks on Echium candicans aka Pride of Madeira - description - Grey green felted foliage (can irritate skin so don't pet it!). Attention grabbing flower spike of 1-2" feet of blue spike. so busy with bees, butterflies and hummingbirds an air traffic controller could be employed.

Soil Cement Drive at top of stairs from Ca, Native Garden: Cloudless Sulphur on Senna didymobotrya aka Cassia - Shrub in pots and one in the ground at margin of drive. Medium green aromatic foliage with tall spikes of brilliant yellow flowers. Look for caterpillars too! they can be yellow, green or striped with both colors

Visitor Center big island planter: a variety of visitors on Verbena lilacina 'De La Miona' aka Cedros Island Verbena - description soft mound of delicate green foliage topped with fragrant purple flowers spilling over the curb adjacent the California Native Garden enroute to Inner Courtyard

Swallowtails have started showing up but I have not pinpointed a target plant

Hello and Happy Earth Day from the Greater Phoenix Area organizers! We wanted to take this time to go over the significance of participating in the City Nature Challenge and how your observations contribute to something much bigger. Believe it or not, your photos in iNaturalist are considered important data for scientists who aim to better understand biodiversity within an ecosystem. Why is this important? Before we answer that, we have to discuss the meaning of “biodiversity”. Biodiversity refers to the variety of all living creatures on the planet, ranging from tiny microbes and fungi to the largest animals on the planet. We may not see it in real time but the various organisms found in an area all play an important role in helping that ecosystem thrive.

Now we can circle back to why this is important; if we don’t know something is there we can’t protect it. In other words, documenting organisms year after year helps us better understand which species exist and how those species adapt to changing environments. This in turn helps us determine which species may become threatened or endangered and how we can better help or support them through science or policy changes. But why urban biodiversity? About half of the world’s population currently lives in urban areas. These urban ecosystems are often understudied and urban biodiversity contributes to healthier and more resilient communities. Urban nature can reduce pollution, provide food security, keep urban areas cooler and reduce stress. By understanding more about the nature in our neighborhoods, we can better serve and care for our communities.

It’s important to make sure your observations contain enough information such as, a date, location, photo or sound and is truly wild meaning, it can’t be a potted plant or animal in captivity. This criteria helps others in identifying your observations because they could someday be used in scientific publications. Of course, all of this is contingent upon members of the community, like you! YOU have the choice to engage in iNaturalist and by uploading your observations and contributing to the documentation of biodiversity in your area.