California Biodiversity Week is a time to pause, look around, and appreciate the wide variety of life that surrounds us every day. From the smallest tidepool creatures to towering coastal oaks, our state is bursting with biodiversity—and your observations can help protect it.
Join the Estuary Program and thousands of nature lovers across California from September 6 to 14 for the “Find 30 Species for California Biodiversity Day” challenge. It’s a free, fun, and meaningful way to contribute to community science while exploring your local landscape.
Find 30 Species for California Biodiversity Day
The Find 30 Species for California Biodiversity Day challenge is part of a larger statewide effort led by the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) as a way to connect people directly with nature. By encouraging community members to observe and upload 30 different wild species to iNaturalist, the challenge empowers anyone with a smartphone to contribute to biodiversity science. iNaturalist is a free app and global biodiversity network developed by the California Academy of Sciences and the National Geographic Society to help people identify the organisms they find.
Your observations on iNaturalist can help document changing species ranges, track rare or threatened species, help detect invasive species, support habitat restoration and land use decisions, and more!
The Challenge: Find 30 Wild Species
To participate, use iNaturalist between September 6 and14 to document at least 30 different species. These can be plants, animals, fungi, or even lichen—as long as they’re not captive or cultivated (i.e., pets, garden plants, or zoo animals).
Here’s a step-by-step guide to joining the challenge:
1. Download iNaturalist
- Available free from the App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android).
- Use the updated 2025 iOS version
2. Create an Account
- Use your email address or log in via Google/Facebook.
- You’ll need an account to join projects and track your observations.
3. Join the Project
- Search for “Find 30 Species for CA Biodiversity Day 2025” in the app.
- Tap Join so your observations are included in the statewide count.
4. Start Observing
- Head outside. This can mean your yard, a park, a trail, or the estuary shoreline.
- Take photos of wild organisms. Try uploading multiple photos and angles to help get an accurate ID.
- iNaturalist will suggest identifications, and other users may confirm or improve them.
Tip: In the iNaturalist settings, turn on “Advanced Mode” and select the “All observations options: iNaturalist AI Camera, Standard Camera, Uploading from Photo Library, and Sound Recorder.” This gives you additional camera options after you press the green observation button.
5. Be a Respectful Observer
- Avoid touching or getting close to wild animals. Observe from a distance.
- Refrain from picking or removing plants, fungi, or animals from their environment.
- Do not trample or destroy vegetation or habitats while exploring.
- Stay on designated trails to reduce your impact on sensitive ecosystems.
- Avoid flash photography; it may startle animals and disturb nocturnal species.
- Turn off location tagging if you’re documenting sensitive species.
- Observe and record organisms without altering their surroundings (e.g., lifting rocks or logs).
- Keep your visit low-impact: pack out trash, minimize noise, and travel in small groups.
6. Upload and Share
- Make sure your photos include location and date (your phone usually does this).
- Click “Upload” Now when finished.
Tip: If you would like to hide the exact location of your observation, you can select the “obscure” option. This will generalize the location. The obscure feature is a helpful option for those who would like more privacy, or to protect species that may be at risk if their location is known. For example, it is recommended to obscure the location of white sage due to the issue of poaching. Threatened and endangered species are automatically obscured.
7. Keep Going!
- Try to find 30 different species during the week.
- Don’t worry if you’re unsure how to identify species —iNaturalist’s AI and community will help you learn.
Tip: Tidepooling, birdwatching, and exploring different habitats are great ways to find unique species. However, you don’t need to go far to find species. Even sidewalk weeds and backyard bugs count.
Join the Estuary Program’s Training Event
To help you get started, the Estuary Program will be hosting an iNaturalist training and practice session.
The event will take place on September 5 from 4:30-6:00 p.m. and will include an iNaturalist tutorial, instructions on how to join the challenge, and a walk around the Embarcadero to start submitting observations.
By participating in the “Find 30 Species” challenge, you’re helping document the natural richness of our region. So grab your phone, head outside, and let curiosity lead the way.
Help us protect and restore the Morro Bay estuary!
- Donate to the Estuary Program today and support our work in the field, the lab, and beyond.
The Estuary Program is a 501(c)3 nonprofit. We depend on funding from grants and generous donors to continue our work. - Support us by purchasing estuary-themed gear from ESTERO. This locally owned and operated company donates 20% of proceeds from its Estuary clothing line and 100% of Estuary decal proceeds to the Estuary Program. Thank you, ESTERO!
- Purchase items from the Estuary Program’s store on Zazzle. Zazzle prints and ships your items, and the Estuary Program receives 10% of the proceeds.
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