San Diego Natural History Museum Botany Department

San Diego Natural History Museum Botany Department Adventures with the native and naturalized plants of southern California and the Baja California peninsula!

If you are interested in learning more about the local flora, you may want to check out this course. The course is desig...
12/09/2024

If you are interested in learning more about the local flora, you may want to check out this course. The course is designed for the serious amateur botanist, environmental consultant, or employee of an environmental governmental organization to acquire the basic knowledge and skills of plant taxonomy, native plant identification, and plant community assessment. Coursework takes place in the classroom and field.

https://ces.sdsu.edu/program/science-computers-technology/field-botany-san-diego/

The Botany Department is ready to show off what we are up to for our Member’s Open House!
10/09/2024

The Botany Department is ready to show off what we are up to for our Member’s Open House!

"Heterotrophs, Mycoheterotrophs, & Saprotrophs, Oh My!" Want to know what we are talking about?? Come to the Secret Soci...
09/13/2024

"Heterotrophs, Mycoheterotrophs, & Saprotrophs, Oh My!" Want to know what we are talking about?? Come to the Secret Society of Adultologists tonight at The Nat and stop by the Botany table. Go down the rabbit hole and learn all about parasitic plants and more. Tickets can be purchased at the link below.
https://www.sdnhm.org/calendar/for-adults/

On Monday, 5 August 2024, J. Rebman, our SDNHM Curator of Botany, took a couple of young botanists (Andy Jones & Lynna T...
08/07/2024

On Monday, 5 August 2024, J. Rebman, our SDNHM Curator of Botany, took a couple of young botanists (Andy Jones & Lynna Thai) to the field in a local San Diego urban canyon to document floristic diversity as part of the Museum’s Healthy Canyon Initiative. One of the botanical goals of this project is to better understand the rare, native, introduced, and invasive plant diversity that makes up the floras of these regional urban canyons in order to protect and conserve them into the future. It is amazing that we do not really know what plant species actually occur in most of these natural fragments surrounded by the San Diego metropolitan area. Although most of the canyons likely have between 300 and 550 different species making up their floras depending upon their size and habitat diversity, I am always surprised at how many plants used for horticultural practices escape, naturalize, and compete with the native species in these natural areas. Below are just a few common landscaping plants that we found in a few hours in one small portion of a single canyon. Needless to say, but what we purposefully plant in our yards and along our streets can have significant detrimental impacts to our local native and natural resources.

07/07/2024
San Diego County Plant Atlas Celebrates 1 Million Observations MilestoneCalling all plant lovers, botanical enthusiasts,...
05/22/2024

San Diego County Plant Atlas Celebrates 1 Million Observations Milestone

Calling all plant lovers, botanical enthusiasts, and native plant entrepreneurs to a Nat at Night Botany Bash
The San Diego County Plant Atlas is thrilled to announce its upcoming celebration marking the monumental achievement of 1 million plant observations on iNaturalist. The celebration will take place on Friday, May 24, 2024, from 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm at the San Diego Natural History Museum during Nat at Night.

The event promises an evening filled with excitement and appreciation for the biodiversity of San Diego County. Nat at Night will kick off at 5:00 pm, offering free entry to museum members and half-price admissions for the general public. Guests will have the opportunity to explore the museum's captivating exhibits showcasing the region's rich natural history.

At 6:00 pm, the celebration will continue with a special presentation in the theater featuring Jon Rebman, the Curator of Botany at the San Diego Natural History Museum, and Olivia Poulos, the Community Engagement Manager. Rebman and Poulos will share insights into the significance of the San Diego County Plant Atlas, its impact on botanical research and conservation efforts in the region, and also provide results on the recent City Nature Challenge and the ongoing Border Bioblitz events.

And that’s not all! At 7:00 pm, guests will have the opportunity to test their knowledge in botany themed trivia. Grab a team and meet us in the atrium for 2 rounds of questions and a scavenger hunt around the museum. Prizes will be awarded to the top 3 teams.

Throughout the evening, guests will have the chance to mingle, purchase delectable food and drinks, and take in the breathtaking views from the museum's rooftop. This event is not only a celebration of the San Diego County Plant Atlas reaching a remarkable milestone but also a tribute to the dedication of the community in contributing to the understanding and preservation of the county's diverse plant life.
"We are incredibly proud to reach this significant milestone of 1 million plant observations in the San Diego County Plant Atlas," said Jon Rebman, Curator of Botany at the San Diego Natural History Museum. "This achievement is a testament to the passion and commitment of our community in documenting and protecting the unique flora of our region. We look forward to celebrating with everyone at Nat at Night and continuing our important work in plant conservation and research."

Join us for an unforgettable evening celebrating the San Diego County Plant Atlas's 1 million observations milestone. Doors open at 5:00 pm, and the presentation begins at 6:00 pm. Don't miss this opportunity to be a part of history and learn more about the botanical wonders of San Diego County.

For more information about the San Diego County Plant Atlas and Nat at Night, please visit https://www.sdnhm.org/science/botany/projects/plant-atlas/ and https://www.sdnhm.org/calendar/nat-at-night/ .

The Nat is open late on select Fridays! Half-off admission after 5PM includes access to our rooftop bar, exhibitions, and more.

The San Diego County Plant Atlas project hits 1 million observations on the iNaturalist platform! What does this mean??W...
04/26/2024

The San Diego County Plant Atlas project hits 1 million observations on the iNaturalist platform! What does this mean??
We have over 117,500 scientific specimens from San Diego County in our SD Herbarium collection, of those nearly 74,000 specimens are from our original community science Plant Atlas Project (collections based) which started in 2003.

Of the 1 million observations on the iNaturalist platform from San Diego County, The Nat Curator of Botany Jon Rebman, has verified 526,259 observations. These verified observations combined with our scientific specimens provide us with a database of over 600,000 records to use for research (examples in photos include finding new records, tracking invasive non-natives, rediscovering plants that haven't been documented in decades and more).

As we celebrate this incredible milestone, we thank everyone who has contributed to the San Diego County Plant Atlas (with specimens and/or observations). Your passion for plant life and commitment to community science have significantly enriched our understanding of our local flora and bolstered conservation efforts.
Help us on our way to the next big milestone and contribute to the City Nature Challenge, which starts today on iNaturalist.

The City Nature Challenge is not just an event; it's a call to action for community scientists and a great way to get out and explore! By participating, you'll immerse yourself in California's most biodiverse region and contribute to a greater understanding of our local ecosystems. Any observations made within county lines, automatically get added to our projects

https://www.sdnhm.org/blog/blog_details/san-diego-county-plant-atlas-reaches-1-million-observations-on-inaturalist/223/
https://www.citynaturechallenge.org/

Check out the article in the new edition of Crossosoma which highlights new plant records and significant rediscoveries ...
04/12/2024

Check out the article in the new edition of Crossosoma which highlights new plant records and significant rediscoveries for San Diego County. These voucher specimens are part of our ongoing studies of the vascular plants of San Diego County. Some of these specimens are a result of new discoveries made by botanists and local plant enthusiasts using the iNaturalist (iNat) platform. After first being observed on iNat, we worked with the observers to obtain specimen vouchers for the herbarium in order to have plant material for long term documentation and herbarium deposition. The primary specimen collections of these taxa are deposited in the SD Herbarium at the San Diego Natural History Museum, but duplicates (when available) were sent to other regional herbaria as part of specimen exchanges.

Below is an example of a new non-native, Cucurbita ficifolia, that we now have documented as a specimen in our collection.

https://socalbot.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Crossosoma_Volume48.pdf

When: 9-Noon, Sunday, 7 April 2024 Where: San Diego Natural History MuseumIf you are able to volunteer your time to help...
03/29/2024

When: 9-Noon, Sunday, 7 April 2024
Where: San Diego Natural History Museum

If you are able to volunteer your time to help us better understand the flora in our local San Diego urban canyons then this training is for you.

We will be holding a Botany Volunteer Training at the San Diego Natural History Museum on Sunday, April 7 from 9am-Noon for the Healthy Canyons Initiative. The goal of Healthy Canyons is to conduct multidisciplinary biological surveys to determine the current state of biodiversity in local canyons, engage local communities, and contribute to urban greenspace conservation policy and action. As a botany volunteer, you will be helping collect data on plant diversity in selected canyons. The training will cover how to use relevant digital apps (iNaturalist and FieldMaps) and specific training on plants we will be documenting such as sensitive, lost, and invasive plant species.

Please note, the first half of the class will be in the classroom and the second half will be hiking in Florida Canyon. Remember to dress accordingly and bring water, snacks, a hat, and sunscreen.

For more information and to enroll in this free class, please RSVP to Anna Arft ([email protected]), Conservation Biology Research Project Manager

Continuing with this botanical anniversary series as part of our 150th year (     ), here is another post connecting our...
03/23/2024

Continuing with this botanical anniversary series as part of our 150th year ( ), here is another post connecting our 150-year-old herbarium specimen collection to our current knowledge of local and regional plant diversity. This is Marah macrocarpa (Cucurbitaceae) Manroot, Wild-Cucumber, Chilicothe and it is a locally common vine that is monoecious (separate male (staminate) and female (pistillate) flowers on the same plant) and produces extremely large, spiky fruits. If you venture out in nature near the coast or foothills in San Diego County at this time of year then you will likely encounter this plant species.

Help the Nat on iNat!We are doing another free iNat training in the desert so come join us and help science!Learn the in...
03/20/2024

Help the Nat on iNat!

We are doing another free iNat training in the desert so come join us and help science!

Learn the ins and outs of using iNaturalist and help the San Diego Natural History Museum monitor groundwater-dependent ecosystems (GDE) near Borrego Springs. Jon P. Rebman, Ph.D., Curator of Botany at the museum, will teach how to make good plant observations in iNat and discuss the flora of Borrego Sink and Clark Dry Lake on March 28 at the Steele/Burnand Anza-Borrego Desert Research Center.

The Nat is documenting the floras of Borrego Sink and Clark Dry Lake as part of a project with the Tubb Canyon Desert Conservancy and University of California, Irvine, to study and monitor the GDEs of the mesquite bosques. iNaturalist observations from the community are an important scientific resource. Using the iNaturalist app is as easy as taking a photo with your smart phone, but a little knowledge makes iNat observations much more valuable for research. Dr. Rebman will present on using iNat and the research project and then take the class outside at the Desert Research Center grounds to demonstrate good techniques for plant observations. In the afternoon, he will lead an optional field trip to Clark Dry Lake. The class and field trip are free and open to the public.

What: Using iNaturalist and the GDEs of Borrego Springs
When: 9 a.m. Thursday, March 28
Where: Steele/Burnand Anza-Borrego Desert Research Center
401 Tilting T. Drive
Borrego Springs, CA 92004-2098
Cost: Free
RSVP: Please email Daniel Donovan at [email protected] if you plan to attend.
Download: Download the free iNaturalist app before the training, and to familiar yourself with how it works, visit https://www.inaturalist.org/pages/getting+started.

If you are in Borrego Springs area this weekend (Friday 15 March) then come hear about the flora of our sky islands in S...
03/14/2024

If you are in Borrego Springs area this weekend (Friday 15 March) then come hear about the flora of our sky islands in San Diego County. The Anza Borrego Desert State Park Botany Society is hosting our own Dr. Jon Rebman, SDNHM Curator of Botany, for a botanical presentation that is open to the public at 10:00 am on Friday at the library. Here are the specifics (https://www.anzaborregobotany.org/newsandevents/2024/2/21/sky-island-flora-of-san-diego-county). Come join him and learn about a lot of lost plant species in our region that need to be rediscovered! We need your help!

Yes, it is that time of the year once again that a diversity of annual desert wildflowers start to bloom in Anza-Borrego...
02/27/2024

Yes, it is that time of the year once again that a diversity of annual desert wildflowers start to bloom in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. More than half of the plant diversity in our desert region flora are annual species and they only show up in good years. Here are some pics taken last week by J. Rebman, SDNHM Curator of Botany, while doing botanical fieldwork in the Clark Dry Lake area of the Anza-Borrego Desert. Enjoy!

02/12/2024
Continuing with this botanical anniversary series as part of our 150th year (     ), here is our second post connecting ...
02/07/2024

Continuing with this botanical anniversary series as part of our 150th year ( ), here is our second post connecting our 150-year-old herbarium specimen collection to our current knowledge of local and regional plant diversity.

As part of our 150th anniversary year (     ), the San Diego Natural History Museum’s Botany Department has decided to c...
01/09/2024

As part of our 150th anniversary year ( ), the San Diego Natural History Museum’s Botany Department has decided to create a monthly post that connects our 150-year-old herbarium specimen collection to our current knowledge of local and regional plant diversity. We hope that you enjoy this botanical series and that you come and celebrate with us during our anniversary year as there will be a lot going on throughout 2024. https://www.sdnhm.org/exhibitions/action-from-the-archives-the-nat-at-150/

Address

1788 El Prado
San Diego, CA
92101

Telephone

(619) 255-0229

Website

http://www.sdplantatlas.org/, http://www.bajaflora.org/, http://www.sdnhm.org/research/botany/cli

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