CNDDB News Blog

Every year World Wetlands Day is celebrated on February 2nd, marking the date in 1971 in which the Convention on Wetlands was adopted in Ramsar, Iran. The Convention on Wetlands is an intergovernmental treaty that outlines the importance of wetlands and provides a framework on how to preserve and sustainably use these precious lands around the world. Wetlands are a crucial part of our environment as they store fresh water for our consumption and are a habitat or breeding ground for 40% of the world’s species. Important agricultural, environmental, recreational, and economical services are also provided by wetlands all over the globe.

Wetlands are defined as lands that are near or under the water for at least part of the year, such as estuaries, saltmarshes, and mangroves. They can contain fresh or salt water and are home to plants and animals that are specially adapted to life in an aquatic environment. In California only about 5% of our wetlands remain, largely due to the fact that they have historically been destroyed for agricultural or urbanization purposes. Since many wetlands are reliant on high groundwater levels, climate change also poses a significant threat to these valuable lands.

Sunset at Yolo Wildlife Area. CDFW photo by Bob Sahara.

This year’s theme for World Wetlands Day is “Wetlands and Water,” which is fitting being as these important ecosystems store most of the world’s fresh water. Wetlands play a large role in filtering pollutants and providing fresh water that we can drink or use to irrigate crops. With a global consumption of 10 billion tons of water per day, the stress placed on wetlands is high.

Another primary function of wetlands is flood control. When extreme weather events occur, wetlands act as shock absorbers and help protect surrounding areas from flooding. In fact, each acre of wetland can absorb up to 1.5 million gallons of floodwater! These lands also store large amounts of carbon, which helps regulate the climate and lessen the severity of climate change.

Great egret (Ardea alba) hunting at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve. CDFW photo by Kirsten Macintyre.

Agriculturally, wetlands are important spaces for rice paddies and other forms of farming; 3.5 billion people rely on rice paddies for food annually. Aquaculture is also an important factor of wetlands. Shrimp, clams, fish, and many other aquatic organisms are grown in wetlands to help reduce overfishing in oceans and meet our increasing global demand for food. In 2016, approximately 30% of fish production was through inland aquaculture.

Of course, wetlands are also important recreational spaces for birdwatching, photography, hunting, walking, or simply enjoying the beauty of nature. We must preserve these valuable wetlands by doing what we can to conserve water, address pollution, and raise awareness on the importance of these lands. We encourage you to visit your local wetlands with a newfound appreciation and keep an eye out for any native wildlife. If you happen to spot a rare species, be sure to report your observation through our Online Field Survey Form!

For more information on World Wetlands Day and how to get involved, please visit the Official World Wetlands Day website.

CNDDB recently contacted LJ Moore to submit rare species detections to our project on iNaturalist. We learned that LJ is an artist and poet who draws inspiration from California’s unique wildlife. She agreed to share some of her artwork with our blog. We hope it motivates you to continue your explorations of our state’s remarkable biodiversity!

A California newt emerging during the first rain of 2020 at China Camp State Park: a welcome sight during a very difficult year.

Portrait of Lethe, a turkey vulture hatched in California in 2000 and now part of the Education Team at the Cascades Raptor Center in Oregon.

Mojave green rattlesnake and Mojave fishhook cactus: both seen near Rainbow Basin Natural Area, Barstow, California.

About the artist: LJ Moore-McClelland was born in Southern California and used to ditch school to go boogie boarding. Introduced to the Mojave Desert at a young age, she gained a deep love and respect for organisms able to thrive in extreme environments. Her adventures include sailing the arctic circle with a group of artists in 2013, and a 2010 residency at Marin Headlands Center for the Arts. She now lives in Marin County and is an avid naturalist and illustrator committed to documenting, celebrating, and preserving biodiversity.

Many thanks to LJ for the beautiful artwork. Check out more of her content on Instagram @xenofiles.

If you, too are active on iNaturalist, we encourage you to share rare plant and animal observations with CNDDB’s project. And, as always, you can submit detection data directly to CNDDB via our Online Field Survey Form.

Ambystoma macrodactylum croceum – Santa Cruz long-toed salamander
Submitted by Noah Morales

Noah spotted this juvenile Santa Cruz long-toed salamander crossing a road and some train tracks northwest of Watsonville in Santa Cruz county. This salamander sub-species is endemic to California and can be found under rocks, logs, or wood around the Monterey Bay coast in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties. It is listed as endangered under both the federal Endangered Species Act and California Endangered Species Act, due to loss of habitat to land development. Adults spend most of their lives underground, using tunnels created by burrowing mammals to get around, only coming out during breeding season. These creatures may be tiny, but they are completely carnivorous! Their diet consists of small crustaceans, worms, spiders, and other invertebrates. Larger Santa Cruz long-toed salamander larvae have also been known to cannibalize smaller larvae. Currently, CNDDB has 26 occurrences across their native range. Many thanks to Noah for snapping a picture of such a rare and incredible species!

Veratrum fimbriatum – fringed false-hellebore
Submitted by Ayla Mills

This month’s amazing find was discovered by Ayla Mills in Mendocino County. Ayla is an ecologist working for Prunuske Chatham, Inc. on natural resource assessment, vegetation monitoring, and reporting for parks and preserves throughout the North Bay. She shows her passion for California’s native plants through her experience in invasive plant research, native plant propagation, and her participation in California Native Plant Society conferences as well as Jepson Herbarium workshops.

Veratrum fimbriatum was first listed in the CNPS Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants in 1974 and is currently considered a California Rare Plant Rank 4.3 species (plants of limited distribution; not very threatened in California). It is found growing in mesic bogs and fens, coastal scrub, meadows and seeps, as well as North Coast coniferous forests. The flowering structure is known as a panicle, meaning it has several branching points with flowers off each branching point. In V. fimbriatum the flowers are deeply fringed which is one of the defining characters for this species. These fringed blooms can be found in late summer from July through September. Thank you, Ayla, for sharing your amazing photo and the passion and experience you contribute to rare plant conservation!