California Fire Followers 2020's Journal

The International sports event usually held every 4 years will have its opening ceremony starting this Friday, July 23. But maybe you’re marveling at the feats of endurance, speed and resilience observed by the “track in field” Fire Followers project instead.

DATES: July 23, 2021-August 8, 2021

DETAILS:
Starting this Friday, we will also be running our own decathlon of identifications, which will last for 16 days. Like the decathlon, scores from reaching benchmarks in 10 individual events will be totaled to declare the 3 winners of the Fire Followers deca-identi-thlon!

Gold: Fire Followers Shirt
Silver: CAL-IPC Hat and Fire Followers Pin
Bronze: Fire Follower Sticker pack and Luggage Tag

EVENTS:

Event 1: Asteraceae: ~1900 ids needed
The Sunflower Family is a 1,500-species run in California!
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=any&project_id=california-fire-followers-2020&quality_grade=needs_id&taxon_id=47604&verifiable=any&iconic_taxa=Plantae

Event 2: Fabaceae: ~1,200 ids needed
Plants in the Pea Family often pop their pods, scattering heavy seeds far from the parent plant in shot-put feats.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=any&project_id=california-fire-followers-2020&quality_grade=needs_id&taxon_id=47122&verifiable=any&iconic_taxa=Plantae

Event 3: Boraginaceae:~1,100 ids needed
If I told you a high jumper clearing the bar looks like the scorpioid cyme of the Borage Family you’d never unsee it.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=any&project_id=california-fire-followers-2020&quality_grade=needs_id&taxon_id=48150&verifiable=any&iconic_taxa=Plantae

Event 4: Poaceae: ~500 ids needed
If you’ve ever had the hardened callus of a grass seed lodge in your sock or elsewhere, you’ve felt the javelin throw of the Grass Family.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=any&project_id=california-fire-followers-2020&quality_grade=needs_id&taxon_id=47434&verifiable=any&iconic_taxa=Plantae

Event 5: Polemoniaceae: ~500 ids needed
With a name like the Sky Pilot Family, it’s a “Pole”moniaceae vault!
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=any&project_id=california-fire-followers-2020&quality_grade=needs_id&taxon_id=48932&verifiable=any&iconic_taxa=Plantae

Event 6: Phrymaceae: ~430 ids needed
Mostly monkeyflowers, often annuals: usually facing a short growing season, it can be a 100-day dash to the finish for the Lopseed Family.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=any&project_id=california-fire-followers-2020&quality_grade=needs_id&taxon_id=64552&verifiable=any&iconic_taxa=Plantae

Event 7: Plantaginaceae: ~390 ids needed
When the Scrophulariaceae was reordered and pretty penstemons paired with plain plantains, the Plantain Family took a broad jump in form and number of species!
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=any&project_id=california-fire-followers-2020&quality_grade=needs_id&taxon_id=50638&verifiable=any&iconic_taxa=Plantae

Event 8: Lamiaceae: ~380 ids needed
The Mint Family is often known by their 4-sided stems, and the 400-meter event is known for being 400 meters. The Lamiaceae used to be the Labitae and the 400-meter used to be a quarter-mile!
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=any&project_id=california-fire-followers-2020&quality_grade=needs_id&taxon_id=48623&verifiable=any&iconic_taxa=Plantae

Event 9: Montiaceae: 370 ids needed
Many spring beauties of the Montiaceae are recognizable for their discus-like fused bracts below the flowers.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=any&project_id=california-fire-followers-2020&quality_grade=needs_id&taxon_id=71417&verifiable=any&iconic_taxa=Plantae

Event 10: Rosaceae:~340 ids needed
Rose hips are pivotal for identification and human hips are pivotal in the hurdles!
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=any&project_id=california-fire-followers-2020&quality_grade=needs_id&taxon_id=47148&verifiable=any&iconic_taxa=Plantae

SCORING:
Benchmark: You will be scored based off of the total points accumulated throughout the events, for the highest benchmark reached in each.
The 1,500 Species Sunflowers: 500 IDs = 1000pts. |300 IDs = 500pts. |100 IDs = 100pts. | 50 IDs = 50pts.
The Pea Pod Shot Put: 400 IDs = 900pts. |200 IDs = 400pts. |100 IDs = 100pts. | 50 IDs = 50pts.
The Scorpioid Cyme High Jump: 300 IDs = 700pts. |150 IDs = 200pts. |100 IDs = 100pts. | 50 IDs = 50pts.
The Grass Javelin:200 IDs = 600pts. |100 IDs = 100pts. |50 IDs = 50pts. |25 IDs = 25pts.
The Polemon Vault:200 IDs = 600pts. |100 IDs = 100pts. |50 IDs = 50pts. |25 IDs = 25pts.
The 100-Monkeyflower Dash: 150 IDs = 300pts. |100 IDs = 100pts. |50 IDs = 50pts. |25 IDs = 25pts. |10 IDs = 10 pts.
The Beardtongue Broad Jump: 100 IDs = 150pts. |50 IDs = 75pts. |25 IDs = 25pts. |10 IDs = 10 pts.
The 4-Sided Stem Dash: 100 IDs = 150pts. |50 IDs = 75pts. |25 IDs = 25pts. |10 IDs = 10 pts.
The Discus (Perfoliate Bract) Throw: 100 IDs = 150pts. |50 IDs = 75pts. |25 IDs = 25pts. |10 IDs = 10 pts.
The Rose Hip Hurdles: 100 IDs = 150pts. |50 IDs = 75pts. |25 IDs = 25pts. |10 IDs = 10 pts.

ADDITIONAL EVENT:
To make things a bit more challenging, we will also be awarding the top three participants who make the most overall improvements and leading identifications in all the following categories above! Here is a link that will take you to a list of all the families listed above combined: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=14&project_id=california-fire-followers-2020&quality_grade=needs_id&taxon_ids=47604,47122,48150,47434,48932,64552,50638,48623,71417,47148&iconic_taxa=Plantae
As a reminder, the prizes are:
Gold: Fire Followers Shirt
Silver: CAL-IPC Hat and Fire Followers Pin
Bronze: Fire Follower Sticker pack and Luggage Tag

You are tagged in this post because you are among some of the top Identifiers of these plant families listed above and we hope you take part in helping identify some of the observations made so far! Feel free to share this with other Naturalists who you think would like to participate and don't forget to join our Fire Followers Project. Thanks for your help!
@graysquirrel @jrebman @grnleaf @catchang @matt_g @andyjones1 @cwbarrows @polemoniaceae @glmory @arboretum_amy @reodell @jdmore @efmer @kueda @serpophaga @ronvanderhoff @birgitknorr @boschniakia @susanmf @charlie @flower_prof @paloma @jlmartin @brothernorbert @sganley @kevinhintsa @diego4nature @finatic @silversea_starsong @cedric_lee @alex_abair @lagoondon @csledge @danieldas @matthew_salkiewicz @loarie @tchester @hikingsandiego @aaronliston @smfang @cwarneke @kschoon @tiwane @birdgal5 @tmessick @morganstickrod @fjgregory @mrchasse @sedgequeen @milliebasden