Alameda Creek Watershed BioBlitz

A BioBlitz is a unique combination of taxonomic inventory, public outreach, and science education. At a BioBlitz, professional scientists and naturalists lead teams of community members to discover the biodiversity of an ecosystem, often finding previously unknown species. Our goals are to discover, map, and learn about the living creatures in the watershed, and to highlight the area’s biodiversity. No special expertise is required to participate in a BioBlitz, and it’s a great way to explore and learn more about our local ecology.

Our first BioBlitz was in the Sunol region on March 22-23, 2014. Thanks to everyone who helped to make the 2014 Sunol Region BioBlitz a success! We had 17 volunteers who documented more than 100 species - with over 200 observations. So far, we've recorded 55 species of birds, 46 species of plants, 22 insect taxa (including 8 different butterflies), 6 types of arachnids, 4 amphibians, 1 lichen, and 1 mammal. We enjoyed a beautiful day in Sunol, and thanks to the recent rain the region was vibrant with life. The best part was the sharing of knowledge that went on among the participants. Some of our highlights of the day include:
3 Golden Eagles
Red-legged Frog egg masses
2 adult Foothill Yellow-legged Frogs
Western Pond Turtles
Flowers and butterflies everywhere!

To view more observations, check out the Sunol Region BioBlitz project on iNaturalist.

We’re recruiting field biologists, naturalists and taxonomic experts to participate in our next BioBlitz.

BioBlitz observations can be recorded on iNaturalist.org. We invite interested participants to download the free app and begin to explore iNaturalist before the event. Learn how to add observations to iNaturalist.