CNDDB News Blog

Sir David Attenborough sitting by the Great Barrier Reef. 
Courtesy of Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website (CC BY 3.0 AU) via Wikimedia Commons

94 years ago today, one of the most inspiring natural history figures was born. Sir David Attenborough was born in Middlesex, England on May 8th, 1926. During his childhood, he collected fossils and natural specimens that were admired by his young peers. The passion and curiosity David discovered for the natural world would propel an impressive and inspiring broadcasting career. After earning a degree in natural sciences from Clare College in Cambridge in 1945, David went on to serve in the Royal Navy where he was stationed in North Wales for two years. An extensive filmography and list of published books ranging from the early 1950s to 2019 has earned David many accolades, including 32 honorary degrees, the 2005 Nierenberg Prize for Science in the Public Interest, the 2015 Individual Peabody Award, and several Primetime Emmy awards. In addition to these, he has had over 20 plant and animal species names after him including Attenborough’s Pintail (Acisoma attenboroughi), alpine hawkweed (Hieracium attenboroughianum), and a species of echidna (Zaglossus attenboroughi). He may be most known for his narration and presenting for 1979’s Life on Earth, Planet Earth, and The Blue Planet natural documentary series. David’s soothing voice has been capturing the curiosity of people around the world for decades and has given us an amazing look inside the natural world we would otherwise not know without him. These documentaries have inspired many of us to make a living of preserving these amazing species as well as the lands they call home. It is no wonder that Sir David Attenborough is known as a UK national treasure as well as a world treasure. So, Happy Birthday to this incredibly influential, respected, and endearing natural historian! We leave you inspired as Sir David often does with this powerful quote from the man himself, “It seems to me that the natural world is the greatest source of excitement; the greatest source of visual beauty; the greatest source of intellectual interest. It is the greatest source of so much life that makes life worth living.”

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.