Alamo Area Texas Master Naturalist-Biodiversity's Journal

Happy Fiesta weekend and its 6^th Annual City Nature Challenge – SAN ANTONIO METRO AREA!

Get ready Take the " City Nature Challenge" - Join Here

Below are group events open the public for City Nature Challenge in the San Antonio Metro Area.
Remember CNC is a 4-day time event (April 28^th -thru May1st) across 12 Counties (Atascosa Bandera Bexar Comal Gillespie Goliad Guadalupe Karnes Kendall Kerr Medina Wilson) in the San Antonio Metro Area. iNaturalist observations made in this time and within our geolocation zone, whether from your backyard, your local parks, in private groups or public group events (i.e., below list) will be accounted! Make sure you SHARE your iNaturalist observations by Sunday May 7^th. Sooner the better for Identification purposes

If you have more to add, please add them in a comment and/or message me via iNaturalist app: https://www.inaturalist.org/messages/new TO: @peterjoseph

--------------- Friday – 4/28/2023 ---------------------------------

Host: Mitchell Lake Audubon Center
Type: CNC-2023 Bioblitz at MLAC.
 Extended Hours Friday Open until 7pm.
Plus, iNaturalist Orientation For to CNC 2023
Where: Mitchell Lake Audubon Center 10750 Pleasanton Road San Antonio, TX (Google Map)
Time: 4:00AM– 7:00PM Friday – 4/28/2023
Additional Info: Orientation for City Nature Challenge@ 5:30pm FREE with Entry Fee - $5 General | Members Free. In Person | Registration Requested | RSVP Here More Information POC: Erin Magerl, Senior Education Coordinator, at 210-531-6476.
Web Link: https://mitchelllake.audubon.org/events/city-nature-challenge-extended-hours

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Host: Native Plant Society of Texas San Antonio Chapter
Type: CNC-2023 Event at Encino Park Area. Plant/ Nature Walk

Where:20138 US-281 (Park behind Top Gun Car Wash) (Google Map)
Time: 9:00AM -12:00PM Friday – 4/28/2023
Additional Info Limited to 10 walkers/ RSVP by 4/27/2023 Off trail walk in rocky Edwards Plateau habitat in North Central Bexar County.
Go to MEETUP app for details and to register: RSVP Here
Web link: https://www.meetup.com/san-antonio-native-plant-events/events/293014574/

--------------- Saturday 4/29/2023 ---------------------------------

Host: Native Prairies Assoc. of Texas- San Antonio Chapter
Type: CNC-2023 iNaturalist Flora/Fauna BioBlitz at Kirchoff Farm

Where:Kirchoff Family Farm 1444 County Rd 210 · Floresville, TX(Google Map)
Time: Gate opens: 7:30AM – Gates Close at 4:30PM Saturday 4/29/2023
Additional Info Open Farm. RSVP: Don Kirchoff Email: donkirchoff@earthlink.net Text: 713-562-7681 (Check in at the Barn) 200-acre farm.
More info at Web link: https://www.meetup.com/san-antonio-native-plant-events/events/291430841/

--------------- Sunday 4/30/2023 ---------------------------------

Host: Mitchell Lake Audubon Center
Type: CNC-2023 Bioblitz at MLAC. (Sunday Free Entry Day)
Where: Mitchell Lake Audubon Center 10750 Pleasanton Road San Antonio, TX (Google Map)
Time: 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM Sunday 4/30/2023
Additional Info Plan your MLAC visit see: Click Here Note: April 30th Sunday Free Entry.
(April 28th /April 29th -open with a small fee. Closed Monday.)
Web Link https://mitchelllake.audubon.org/visit/plan

Host: Bexar Audubon Society and Native Prairies Assoc. of Texas- San Antonio Chapter
Type: CNC-2023 Bird BioBlitz /Survey at Kirchoff Farm)
Where: Kirchoff Family Farm 1444 County Rd 210 · Floresville, TX (Google Map)
Time: 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM Sunday 4/30/2023
Additional Info Limited to 25- must RSVP. Bird Survey from 8am-10am.
10am – 12pm – Farm will be open to the public for general bioblitz.
 See BAS Web link--> https://bexaraudubon.org/3174-2/?sheet_id=50

--------------- Monday 05/01/2023 ---------------------------------

Host: Cibolo Creek Ranch and Native Plant Society of Texas – San Antonio Chapter
Type: CNC-2023 iNaturalist Flora/Fauna BioBlitz at Cibolo Creek Ranch
Where: Cibolo Creek Ranch Gate entrance at : 1410 Obst Rd, Bulverde, TX (Google Map)
Time: 10 AM – 04:00 PM Monday 05/01/2023
Additional Info Open Ranch - 211 ac. Ranch in the hill county and part of the Great Texas Wildlife Trail. Visitors sign in at the Main House. For details and to RSVP - Click Here.
Additional info see Meetup
web Link: https://www.meetup.com/san-antonio-native-plant-events/events/293089662/

BE SAFE and HAVE FUN! 

2023 Video available to download or share link in your social media : https://tinyurl.com/CNC2023-Video 

Less than 2 minute video on "Look Around You" and how you can help in making observation using iNaturalist for the City Nature Challenge. Find out who you are helping and how. Take the the city nature challenge 2023. Its a global event with about 464 cities/areas participating at last count. 15 cities in Texas.  This is San Antonio Metro Area - 6th Annual in participating in the City Nature Challenge. Hope the video will insire you to take the San Antonio Metro Area- City Nature Challenge... 

Starts Friday, April 28 through Monday, May 1

 Get ready to deeply engage with nature on these four days! With recent rains flora and fauna are going to be popping with life. Let’s observe and document what is wild in our backyard to what is in our parks.

For the past 6 years, the citizen scientists in San Antonio Metro Area remind the world just how much biodiversity exists here amongst us. The City Nature Challenge is an excellent way to highlight not just this biodiversity but also the active group of folks that engage with nature with their smartphones and cameras.

Let get into Fiesta spirit and into mindfulness of Nature April 28 - May 1 -- City Nature Challenge 2023!!! All observations made on these four days from the 12 counties that make up San Antonio Metro Area. ((Atascosa, Bandera, Bexar, Comal, Gillespie, Goliad, Guadalupe, Karnes, Kendall, Kerr, Medina, Wilson.) and uploaded before Sunday, May 6th will count towards the San Antonio City Nature Challenge. Joining the CNC2023 project is optional, I recommend getting updates via the Journal post and see related comments. CNC2023-SA Metro Area Bioblitz Project Link: Click Here.

New – this year are intra “Nature challenges” or “Campus Nature Challenge”, “Chapter Nature Challenge”, “Corporate Nature Challenge “and “Community Nature Challenge”. In short, an umbrella Project has been created to show all the intra “Nature Challenges”. (Click Here- iNaturalist CNC-SA Umbrella project) .

• Lookup to see if your University, Collage Campus, Nature Chapter, Corporate company are participant in contributing not only to the City Nature Challenge but also if your organization is in the intra- nature challenge. If so you must “JOIN” the project related to your organization you belong to

• Example- Joe James is a Alamo Area Texas Master Naturalist and is a San Antonio River Warrior. Given Joe as competed the above steps (or has an iNaturalist account in iNaturalist.org). Joe James next steps:

  1. Go to the Umbrella Project on the web: iNaturalist CNC-SA Umbrella project.
  2. Find TMN-Alamo Area Chapter project. Click on the project and “Join” the project. (Via the web it’s on the top right of the screen). This will also update your smartphone app project list.
  3. Likewise, with SA River Warrior project. Go back to step a) and find and click on River Warrior project –“Join.”
     
     

Objective for intra "Nature Challenge" is:

• The greatest number of Wild observations (although cultivated /captured is accepted in CNC). Let it be “wild” about our observations.
• The greatest number of different species observed.
• The greatest number of observers in the project. (Campus projects, Corp projects, etc.…)

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to reach out to me via iNaturalist messages: https://www.inaturalist.org/messages/new @peterjoseph

Welcome - AAMN Fall 2022- Class 47 to the Alamo Area Texas Master Naturalist-Biodiversity Project!!

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ATTENTION- AAMN members -
Looking for a Public Outreach / Docent Team . Goal to be part of iNaturalist public teachers and/or bring awareness of the iNaturalist app in Citizen Science!!!. iNaturalist email -PeterJoseph if interested. TY in advance. 

Some dates coming up : 

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iNaturalist Q/A

Newbie's common question:

Question=> "I signed up for this project but it does not show up on my iNaturalist list of projects? WHY??

Answer => To have it show up in your project list of projects. 
You must also join the project in iNaturalist. To do so….

• Go to the AAMN iNaturalist project and
• click on the “Join” on the top right corner.

Note : when you sign up to join the AAMN iNat Project. Basically we are updating the project's requirements pages with AAMN iNaturalist users. Being that this a collection project. This will keep non- AAMN users from beinig part of the data or the project. This is helpful internally to know who's who are the Chapters iNaturalist users for future iNat projects and to send related info. 

Thanks for being part of this project. 

1. View and share this inspiring “Global - CNC-2022” !
   CNC 2022 - Video - Click here
   
   

2. CNC -FAQ:

   •  What are the dates for the Bioblitz?City Nature Challenge 2022 important dates:
     
     ● Make and share observations: April 29 - May 2 (in the 12 Counties)
     ● Get all your observations uploaded and work on identifying: May 3-8
     ● Results announced: May 9th
     
     
   •  Where can we make observations in the San Antonio Area?
     Anywhere -you can observe plants and wildlife within the 12 counties area surrounding San Antonio?  Those counties are: Atascosa, Bandera, Bexar, Comal, Gillespie, Goliad, Guadalupe, Karnes, Kendall, Kerr, Medina, Wilson.

3. CNC-SA Area Events - Join a guided walk.

4. Find a SARA Park or Trail. 

5. Exploring Nature in and around your home.

6. "After Party" - ID Parties-scheduled.

7. FYI- 15 Texas Cities participating in CNC-2022: Map

Be Safe - Have Fun. 
PeterJoseph