CNDDB News Blog

Photo credit: Margie Mulligan
(CC BY-NC 4.0) via iNaturalist

Earlier this year, a grass species thought to be extinct was rediscovered. Prairie false oat (Sphenopholis interrupta ssp. californica) was previously only known from two locations in Baja California, Mexico from the 1880s. It was rediscovered near Carlsbad, California by Jessie Vinje (with the Conservation Biology Institute) and Margie Mulligan (with the San Diego Natural History Museum) while doing population monitoring for San Diego thorn-mint (Acanthomintha ilicifolia). See this news article from the Conservation Biology Institute for additional information about this exciting discovery!

CNDDB is proud to maintain a comprehensive, robustly-catalogued archive of field survey forms, articles, reports, maps and other documents containing biogeographical data on species of special concern in California. But when we start digging into historical species locations, we often turn to other archives for additional information. Below is a short list of a few of our favorite resources. Some may be already familiar, but hopefully a few await your exploration. Happy hunting!

California State Library
The California State Library is housed in a beautiful neoclassical building adjacent to the State Capitol in Sacramento. In-person services are currently suspended during COVID-19, but meanwhile you can browse the State Library website. CSL has voluminous archives of scientific literature, making it a great resource to track down historical articles and books, and their online Ask-A-Librarian service is top notch. We’ve also been told they have a collection of over 5,000 historic maps. Though only state employees can check items out, anyone is welcome to browse on-site (or online).

Added bonus of visiting CSL in person—you might get to meet library service-dog-in-training Florence V!

MVZ Archives Field Notes collection
Sometimes you need more information about a historical specimen. Maybe you just want a glimpse into the epic history of scientific collecting. The Museum of Vertebrate Zoology keeps an online archive of digitized field notes from some of its most legendary curators and field biologists.

USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection
USGS’ Topo View online map viewer allows you to navigate and view all versions of topo maps available for any given location in the US, dating back to the 1800s. You can even download georeferenced images of the maps. It’s an essential tool for georeferencing historical specimens.

Biodiversity Heritage Library
BHL is an open-access digital archive of historical biodiversity literature, with contributors from around the globe. If you are tracing back the taxonomic history of a certain species, this is your go-to resource for finding articles across the centuries.

If the above resources don’t scratch your historical itch, here are some more CNDDB staff favorites:

• Botanist Willis Jepson’s field notebooks via UC Berkeley/Jepson Herbarium
• Calisphere (digitized documents, maps, photos, etc. from CA libraries)
• California Highways (routes, maps & history)
• Up and Down California blog (W.H. Brewer’s field notes from the Whitney Survey)
• Historic and Notable Bridges (Formerly known as uglybridges.com, we think)

June 20 marks the day in American history when the bald eagle was designated as the nation’s symbol. In 1782, the bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) was selected as the country’s emblem because of its regal appearance and vigor.

The bald eagle has persisted through many hardships, much like the United States. The success of the bald eagle’s recovery is one of the most famous cases of conservation management. In 1940, the bald eagle was granted federal protection under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. For several decades later, it would be protected under more federal acts bringing its importance to the forefront of natural resource preservation. DDT, a synthetic pesticide known to thin eggshells and in turn kill bird embryos, was banned from use in the United States. The following year, the Endangered Species Act was passed and included the bald eagle as an endangered species. Around this time, the bald eagle population in the lower 48 states consisted of a shockingly low 417 breeding pairs. From then to the turn of the century, recovery plans for the bald eagle were put into place. In 2007, only 13 years ago, the bald eagle was removed from the Threatened and Endangered Species List due to the increase and stability of populations. At the time of delisting, survey data showed that the population had grown significantly to 9,789 breeding pairs.

The success and persistence of the bald eagle’s recovery parallels closely to the trials and tribulations of the United States. Even though the fight is far from over, we can take a step back and appreciate the hope these birds symbolize. During these trying times, we can all be inspired by the strength, perseverance, and success of the bald eagle.

To celebrate American Eagle Day, take a moment to learn more about the bald eagle. Have you seen one of these majestic birds in public? If you have been fortunate enough, make sure to report your observation through the Online Field Survey Form!