2026 CA Biodiversity Week

Are you ready to Celebrate CA Biodiversity Week?
Read more to see how you can get involved with regional bioblitz’, nature walks, and more!

The Challenge: 

Using the iNaturalist app, observe 30 species in the Mount Shasta Bioregion between September 5th and 13th. Observations and exploration can be made at any park, wilderness area, or neighborhood in the bioregion! If 30 species feels like too much, any amount will help! Click here to join the project via iNaturalist. Keep reading to learn more!

Why it matters: 

This statewide biodiversity challenge creates a snapshot of the state’s incredible biodiversity and contributes to the California 30×30 Initiative. Not only does a bioblitz celebrate natural spaces, but it empowers “citizens to better understand and protect biodiversity,” according to the National Geographic Society’s website.

According to the Natural Resources Defence Council (NRDC), “Thriving biodiversity is necessary for healthy ecosystems, without which we wouldn’t have a secure food supply, clean water, essential medicines, or, ultimately, a habitable climate.” The more diverse an ecosystem, the more abundant its resources and the more likely it is to withstand climate-related stresses, such as drought, disease, and flooding. Every ecosystem contains species that rely on each other for shelter, food, water, etc. Biodiversity is critical for these codependencies.