Biodiversity at Kartchner Caverns State Park's Journal

While running this project is mostly hands-off for our natural resources staff, every observation counts as helpful data for them. Starting in 2019, rangers are working together (and with iNaturalist observations) to update the official plant list for the park. This ‘florisitics inventory’ (an inventory of the plant species present in an area) process involves using existing plant lists as a starting point, then adding or removing species as appropriate. Sometimes the team will use iNaturalist as a way to identify plants; however, usually staff does their own research, submits observations, and relies on identifiers to confirm their species suggestions. Once observations are approved as research grade, they’re included in the inventory.

This is a big project expected to take multiple seasons to complete. The team is excited to have a current inventory in place - this will enable them to compare the list with previous years and discover how the park’s biodiversity is changing over time. Interpretive staff can also use the completed list as part of their programs, or to help visitors with identification on the trail.

Thank you, community scientists, for your contributions to this project!

Last year, iNaturalist released a new version of their Seek app. Seek uses image recognition technology - technology based on observations submitted and identified by users like you! - to instantly recognize commonly recorded organisms. The previous version of the app required the user to first take a photo to even determine whether it was identifiable. Now, users simply point their camera at something unknown, and the screen overlay provides “immediate feedback about what you see and the specificity with which Seek can identify it.”

This app was developed as kid-safe: no registration is involved, and no user data is collected. Location services must be allowed; however, this data is obscured and never stored in the app or sent to iNaturalist (unless you link the two apps). It’s an even easier tool for families to use while exploring nature together.

At first, I was resistant to using Seek - if everyone switches over to this cool instant recognition tool, our biodiversity data collection will seriously decline! Fortunately, this is not the case. If you’re an iNaturalist user, it is easy to log into the Seek app with your information, and upload those Seek observations onto your iNaturalist page! The apps will work together and make it easier for you to use which app you’d like to learn about nature, and share it with others.

If you’re curious about Seek, head over to https://www.inaturalist.org/pages/seek_app to learn more about the app, watch a quick video, or download the user guide.

Have you tried the app? What are your thoughts? Do you have questions? Share them below!

The Whetstone Mountains are once again full of life - the mesquite trees have leaves, the ocotillos are blooming, and new flowers seem to pop up daily. However, human activity in the area has significantly dropped off. The coronavirus pandemic has changed many things about the world as we know it over the past couple of months. Since March 17, cave tours at Kartchner Caverns have been closed, and visitor services at the park are severely reduced. We hope that you are as well as can be during these unsure times.

Getting outside to enjoy the summertime changes can be difficult right now. Some parks are experiencing overuse as visitors try to enjoy the outdoors. We urge you to use caution when making the choice to use these spaces - stay away from overcrowding and try to distance yourself from others, even in the fresh air while hiking on trails. Of course, summertime in the desert brings its own cautions too: it’s hot, very sunny, and snakes are active!

If you are able to responsibly enjoy nature right now, we’d love to see what you’re seeing. Our project just passed 1,000 observations - a huge milestone - and there’s been exciting life observed here lately: lizards, warblers, bobcats, and too many flowers to count. Stay safe and take care, community scientists.

Wow - our biodiversity collection project has almost reached 500 observations! This is a big milestone and due to the hard work of 67 observers, plus many more identifiers. Thank you all for you focus, dedication, and enthusiasm for nature. As temperatures start to fall and daylight hours cease, keep an eye out for late bloomers and migratory species passing through the area. Autumn can be an exciting time in the desert.

Kartchner Caverns State Park will soon be celebrating an important milestone of its own - 20 years since the opening of the Rotunda-Throne tour route! We invite you to join the celebration on Saturday, November 16th; featured guests include the Huachuca Astronomy Club and the Herpetological Society. At 1 p.m., there will be a guided hike along the Ocotillo Trail to learn more about our community biodiversity project and welcome newcomers to the iNaturalist community. For more information, visit: https://azstateparks.com/kartchner/events/kartchner-anniversary

Keep observing, naturalists!

Despite the stifling heat, Kartchner Caverns State Park is still bustling with life! Agave stalks are reaching towards the sky, lizards and snakes are soaking up the sun’s rays, and birds are flitting about in the early mornings. Even the nighttime critters are out and about, enjoying the fleeting reprieve from the heat. iNaturalist observations can be made any time of day!

If you decide to explore during the heat of the day, make sure to take the necessary precautions before going outside. We recommend sunscreen, breathable clothing, a hat, and sunglasses. And don’t forget to bring plenty of water!

As we continue into the summer, we look forward to the exciting observations that will be made—all of which help us better understand the diversity of species in Kartchner Caverns State Park. Thank you for your help and time, and stay cool out there!

*We would also like to give a shoutout to two projects that need your help: Southwest Monarch Study Sightings and Western Monarch Milkweed Mapper. Both iNaturalist projects are interested in monarch and milkweed observations, which will allow scientists to better understand monarchs in conjunction with ongoing conservation efforts. Please visit the following links for more information:

https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/southwest-monarch-study-sightings
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/western-monarch-milkweed-mapper

Kartchner Caverns State Park is springing into the season with plenty of warmth and signs of new life. It's been a cold, snowy winter, and the arrival of singing birds, blooming flowers, and cold-blooded reptiles is a wonderful sight. Our citizen science project just reached a new milestone - 250 observations! Thank you to both our observers and identifiers! We are getting to track the seasonal changes both outdoors and online.

Take a look at our recent observations for things to look out for when you hit the trails this spring - including desert evening primrose, tuber anemones, and blooming ocotillos. Summer birds, like the hooded oriole and the black-chinned hummingbird, are starting to reappear. Even year-round residents are becoming more prevalent, such as the vermillion flycatcher and the black-throated sparrow.

For those of you who come to the area looking specifically to go birding, we have created a new iNaturalist guide, titled Birds of Kartchner Caverns State Park. The interactive guide includes all species on our birding checklist, which you can also pick up at the Discovery Center. Check it out at: https://www.inaturalist.org/guides/9324

With the warmer weather, make sure to stay safe outdoors. Snake season is upon us, as well as the increasing risk of dehydration, sunburn, and other heat-related illnesses. Always keep safety in mind, and happy observing!

Kartchner Caverns State Park would like to welcome you to our data collection project! By uploading your observations of plants and animals you see in the park, our natural resources staff can start to get a better idea of the diversity and frequency of certain species, especially around high visitor-use areas.

If you're unfamiliar with this site, here's how to get involved:

1. Register as an iNaturalist user either on the website or by downloading the free smartphone app. Please be sure to review iNaturalist guidelines and familiarize yourself with the program.
2. Take photos of plants, mammals, birds, insects, or any other living organism you can find in the park. However, we ask that you use caution and don't approach wildlife for a photo op!
3. Upload your observations onto iNaturalist - including photos, date and time, trail name, and any other details you can provide. Everything helps! Make sure to also include location data, or it won't get pulled into our project.
4. If you know what you've observed, label it! Other iNaturalist users will confirm your ID, or suggest different ones. If you don't already know what you're looking at, label it as Plantae (plants) or Animalia (animals), and leave it to the iNaturalist community for help!
5. Any observation uploaded and tagged in the park boundary will automatically be added to this project. You can also follow our project to check out all uploaded observations, including your own!

In the future, we will be hosting interpretive programs and hikes to discuss more about citizen science and actually get out in the field to get some iNaturalist experience. Stay tuned for more information!

Do you have questions? Leave us a comment! Thanks for your help, fellow citizen scientists!