CNDDB News Blog

Sidalcea malachroides – maple-leaved checkerbloom

Submitted by Valeri Sinco

This little beauty was found by Valeri Sinco in Humboldt County. Sidalcea malachroides was originally listed in 1994 as a rank 1B (rare or endangered in California and elsewhere) and was more recently changed to a rank 4.2 (limited distribution in California; fairly endangered in California) in the California Rare Plant Ranking system. It is found in a multitude of habitats along the coast including broad-leafed upland forest, North Coast coniferous forest, riparian woodland, coastal prairies and coastal scrub. Sidalcea malachroides ranges from the Central Coast in California north along Oregon’s coast where it is also of conservation concern. It blooms from April to August, but early blooms have been found in March. Thank you, Valeri, for everything you do to help protect these plants and for sharing this beautiful photo!

Dicamptodon ensatus – California giant salamander

Submitted by Daniel Palmer & Tommy Kelley of the California Department of Transportation

This larval stage California giant salamander was staying nice and still for Daniel and Tommy. They found it near Fort Ross in Sonoma county. When this salamander is fully grown, it will display reddish-brown colored marbling. The California giant salamander lives up to its name being one of the largest salamander species in North America and are endemic to California. Its flat tail is designed perfectly for swimming which helps its short, stout limbs in the water. You can find this salamander in damp, coastal forests throughout Sonoma and surrounding counties as well as San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties. These critters eat anything they can overpower, including slugs and small invertebrates like birds and lizards! Its current distribution has not changed much from its historic distribution, but their native habitats have seen a lot of alterations. Currently, the database has 234 mapped occurrences throughout its range. Many thanks to Daniel and Tommy for snapping a picture of this species!

Do you have some great photos of rare plants or wildlife detections? Submit them along with your findings through our Online Field Survey Form and see if your photos get showcased!

Happy Earth Day, everyone! April 22, 2020 marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. This year’s theme is climate action.

Earth Day started back on April 22 of 1970, when 20 million Americans took to the streets to protest the way we were treating our planet and called for environmental reform. Not long after, key environmental laws such as the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts were enacted.

So how can we celebrate Earth Day together, while apart? This year, there are talks, calls to actions, performances, and video teach-ins happening all around the world digitally. See what activities you may tune in on, or what actions you may take by spreading the word about conservation by visiting the Earth Day website.

Photo by Katie Ferguson

Happy Native Plant Week! In 2010, the California legislature designated the third week of April to be California Native Plant week, so this is the perfect time to take a moment to appreciate the beauty and diversity of California’s native flora. With approximately 6,500 species of plants naturally occurring in our state, and one third of those species growing nowhere else in the world, there is certainly quite a lot to appreciate!

While in-person gatherings and outings associated with Native Plant Week have been postponed to prevent the spread of coronavirus, there are still plenty of ways to explore and appreciate native plants from within your own home.

Calflora is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in native plants. It is a comprehensive database that includes all plants that grow wild in California (both native and non-native species) and has a detailed profile page for each species, among many other useful features.

iNaturalist is a citizen science project that allows users to upload and share observations. If you need help identifying a plant, iNaturalist will offer suggestions based on your photos and other species seen nearby, or you can enlist the help of other users to identify your observation. It is also a useful tool for exploring observations that have been made nearby; if your local ordinances allow, take a walk to a park and make some observations. And don’t forget to join the CNDDB iNaturalist project!

Zooniverse: Notes from Nature - Capturing California’s Flowers is a citizen science project that allows anyone to help California herbaria by transcribing herbarium labels from their collections. This is a perfect activity for when you’re stuck inside, but still want to help contribute to the botanical knowledge of California.

You can also visit the CNPS website for additional information and activities related to Native Plant Week.