CNDDB News Blog

In preparation for this post, we were saddened to learn of the passing of CNDDB contributor Dr. Laurence Resseguie in 2017. We are grateful for Laurie’s tremendous contributions to Swainson’s hawk research in California.

Between 1998 and 2013, Dr. Resseguie submitted an incredible 1,695 field survey forms and reports to the California Natural Diversity Database; the vast majority of them for Swainson’s hawk (Buteo swainsoni), a state threatened species. This data was used to map 492 SWHA occurrences across 42 quads and 6 counties. Laurie’s field work increased our understanding of the northern limits of the breeding range of SWHA in California.

Dr. Resseguie’s dedication to his work was unparalleled. He came out of retirement to assist CNDDB with updates for Swainson’s hawk records in 2013, driving down from his home in Washington State to locate nest sites with CNDDB staff member Rachel Freund. Rachel recalls Dr. Resseguie marveling at the determination of the nesting hawks as the birds attempted to shade their eggs from the glaring summer sun and 100-plus degree heat. Clearly, Laurie possessed a wide streak of that same determination.

Laurie’s legacy is an example of how one individual’s observations can make a great impact on wildlife conservation in California. Leave your mark today by submitting rare species detections through the CNDDB Online Field Survey Form!

If you’d like to nominate an individual for CNDDB’s Contributor Spotlight, please email Rachel Freund at Rachel.Freund@wildlife.ca.gov.

Like California, New Zealand’s biodiversity continues to decline. New Zealand’s unique flora and fauna has been severely impacted by introduced mammalian predators and modified landscapes. Utilizing behavioral science research, New Zealand’s Department of Conservation is focusing on the role people can play in mitigating the decline. Case studies will include human-animal conflict, domestic cats and dogs, forest visitors spreading pathogens, and activating urban residents.

Date: Tuesday, May 21, 1-3 p.m.
Location: Room 1131, 1416 9th Street, Sacramento CA
Register to view in-person or online.

Questions? Contact: Whitney.Albright@wildlife.ca.gov

Photo credit: Abigail Cramer, Rachel Powell, and Annie Chang

A couple of CNDDB staff recently volunteered to accompany permitted biologists from Area West Environmental to survey for California tiger salamanders at the SMUD Nature Preserve Mitigation Bank at Rancho Seco. Yearly monitoring visits to a mitigation site are vital to evaluating the success of restoration efforts, and often required by USFWS when approving a mitigation plan for threatened or endangered species.

The mitigation bank consists of both natural and man-made vernal pools which provide habitat for many native plants and animals, including the federally listed California tiger salamander. The California tiger salamander spends most of its life underground, only emerging after winter rains to breed and lay eggs in seasonal pools. When the SMUD mitigation bank first restored pools, California tiger salamanders were only found in pools near the margins of the restoration area, but today they can be found throughout the site.

We visited constructed vernal pools on the property to check for presence of salamander larvae and record measures of habitat quality. Not only did we find California tiger salamanders, we also observed vernal pool tadpole shrimp (federally listed as Endangered), western spadefoot (California Species of Special Concern), western toad, clam shrimp, garter snake, and chorus frog.

Thank you to Becky, Area West, and SMUD for the amazing opportunity to gain hands-on experience, and for submitting data to the CNDDB!

While much of the mitigation bank is closed to the public, the 7-mile Howard Ranch Trail traverses portions of the SMUD Nature Preserve, showcasing beautiful natural vernal pools and oak woodlands.