Diario de gyrrlfalcon

Every year for the past two, I've thrown myself the kind of party I really like and think is fun - an iNat Anniversary party! It was on August 13 of 2012 that I encountered the rattlesnake at Edgewood that set me off on this wondrous journey. My involvement with iNat has brought me friends, knowledge, and a sense of environmental passion that is better than simple activism or unending despair. So I want to celebrate all of that - and to continue to build the remarkable San Mateo County BioBlitz project.

This year the anniversary falls on a Tuesday - not the most convenient time, I know. Hence I am getting the invitation out early, and making room for latecomers.

DATE: August 13, 2019 (Tuesday)
TIME: 1:00 PM (early shift); 5:30 PM (later shift)
PLACE: El Corte de Madera, Skeggs Point parking area
ROUTE: Part One: Skeggs Point to Tafoni Trail; Tafoni to Fir Trail; Fir to Resolution Trail (to chaparral); Resolution to Fir Trail, back to Skeggs; Part Two: From Skeggs to the Sierra Morena Trail and back
DISTANCE: (Part One) about 3 miles; (Part Two) about 1 mile
IDEA: iNat Every Freaking Thing WE Can Find! Blanket the area with observations!
AFTERWORDS: We can figure out where we want to eat, depending on who wants to go to dinner. We know of good pizza, good Thai, good Mexican, good Japanese within thirty minutes of location heading back east into the heart of San Mateo county.

PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU INTEND (OR HOPE) TO ATTEND, so I know about how many people we have.

The observation that launched tens of thousands of contributions: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/112458

My iNat buddies know how, as part of my own continuing education program, I attempt to get entries in as many of the thirteen iNaturalist categories as I can, every day I go out. This morning I decided to take a more rigorous approach to the problem, and so I offer my insights as a public service.

The thirteen categories, divided into three levels of difficulty (though the division is dependent on habitat)

Plants - you have to be in the most sterile atmosphere imaginable to not get a plant
Fungi - once you know where lichen hide, you've got no excuses
Insects - Something's gonna bug you if you're in the field all day
Birds - photos AND tapes AND found feathers...c'mon people, you can do this, even if you are not birders

Arachnids - the animal architecture project can always use another interesting web or spider hole
Mollusks - snails, banana slugs, and shells
Reptiles - fairly easy where I live (because, Western Fence Lizard) or Florida, but can be tricky back east
Mammals - I suppose this could be easy, if you don't mind having shitty pictures

Amphibians - when we know where the salamanders are, this gets easier
Other Animals - when at the shore this is easy, because crabs. Isopods usually happen to you in a day
Ray-Finned Fish - To once again quote @vermfly , "Get the fish" is not an easy task!
Protozoans - What can one do in a dry climate without slime molds being in season?
Chromista - Seems you've got to be by the shore...except that Sudden Oak Death is a Chromista

I once got 12 of 13, and missed the 13th simply because I didn't realize how close I was to completing the set (Mollusk was the missing one, and i'd been ON a BEACH!)