1, 14, and 24 for the naturalist asks!
Oooh good questions! Here is the original reblog for those wondering :^) Also, sorry for the delay!!!
What do you tend to focus on in terms of taxa? Animals, plants, specific orders or families? Marine biology, parasites, other looser groupings?
I'm a pretty broad naturalist honestly! I just focus on things I find interesting, which is just about everything. My primary interest, academically, professionally, and recreationally, is definitely birds (as evidenced by my most-observed species on iNaturalist, haha) but I've worked professionally with herps, plants, and a tiny bit with bats as well. I have a special interest in manzanitas--shrubs primarily found in the California Floristic Province--in particular, and I'm trying to see every species in the world if I can. I also love tidepooling, looking under logs, and "macro" photography, among other things.
14. A common species you still get excited about
Another great question! Just about every species is worth getting excited about in my book. I'll list a couple! I suppose what first comes to mind is Black Phoebe. It, along with its cousins the Say's and Eastern Phoebes, is what I named myself after when I transitioned! It's a lovely, smartly-dressed little flycatcher that is luckily quite numerous around where I am. It's hard to put into words what it represents to my transition, though I love when my friends send me phoebe sightings as a result of it.
One that's more locally common (but extremely so once you're in its range) is Slender Banana Slug. It serves as the mascot to the university in my hometown, so it's a matter of local pride. I mean, who wouldn't love an enormous, slimy, bright yellow slug! Luckily for us Santa Cruzans, these creatures are common year-round, but particularly after rains. Short hikes can yield dozens of them at the right time of year!
Finally, I have to mention another relatively common local endemic, the Bonny Doon Manzanita. It's a little biased on my part, but the plant seems to only grow in gorgeous places. It's also relatively easily distinguished from other local Arctostaphylos species by its silvery-gray leaves and glabrous (read: hairless) stems and fruits, which is a nice change of pace for this notoriously difficult genus of plants. Some honorable mentions would be Ensatina (a ring species around the Central Valley that seems to visually mimic extremely toxic newts locally), Sooty Shearwater (a species that breeds in New Zealand and then flies north and joins us in flocks tens of thousands strong [and also the bird I named my car after]), and White-crowned Sparrow (which has a locally-breeding subspecies with a song dialect I've never heard anywhere else).
24. A species you think people should know more about (do give details 👀)
I was tempted to just say gulls for this as I have a lot to say on them (send another ask if you're curious), but this just says one species...hmmm...
Honestly I think I'm going to have to go with Pacific poison oak here. It's a species that can give people nasty rashes thanks to urushiol, a compound found throughout the plant's stems and leaves. For this (admittedly justified) reason, the plant is often reviled and removed from gardens, trails, and other outdoor spaces. Despite this, though, a closer look will reveal just how important they are to the ecosystem. Pacific poison oak is adaptable, able to grow just about everywhere in California outside the Great Basin and the southern deserts. They often grow as decently-sized shrubs, helping to provide cover, feeding grounds, and habitat for understory species like Bewick's Wren, Spotted Towhee, and even the elusive Wrentit. Its small, white fruits are eaten by many species of birds and mammals, as are its leaves. Its flowers are also thought to be important to pollinators. They're also host to various parasites, including a gall-forming mite. It's also thought to provide some protection for smaller plants growing in disturbed areas, leading to the name "guardian oak" that I've heard once in person and nowhere else. If you're wondering why all these species are able to exist around it while we aren't, well...no one knows. Among animals, urushiol has only been shown to affect primates, including us, and its function in the plant is thought to have to do with an anti-microbe defense. (Yes, that link is talking about poison ivy, but the two are close cousins.) Even then, many people show a surprising immunity to the plant, and indeed it's used by many Native cultures. The Pomo, Karuk, Maidu, and Coast Miwok peoples have used its sap for dyes and inks, while the Chumash have used this same substance, as well as powdered plants, to treat a variety of illnesses. The Karuk, among others, used the plants' stems and leaves in their cooking, too. With all this in mind, it would be foolish to simply write off Pacific poison oak as a weed or nuisance plant. Honestly, it can be quite beautiful in fall, and I'm happy to have it around.
(BTW, my source for many of the above claims is the wonderful Secrets of the Oak Woodlands by Kate Marianchild! I recommend checking it out if you ever get a chance.)
Thanks again for the ask! Please reach out again if you want me to answer any of the other questions!
