This year’s Mary Bowerman Science and Research Colloquium once again took place virtually. We had a fantastic lineup of presentations from Save Mount Diablo grant recipients and other researchers that highlighted unique natural history aspects of the Diablo Range.
Motion-activated cameras allowed Brian Richardson to monitor the food habits of American kestrels. Photo by Sean Burke.
Study topics from this year’s colloquium included
- observing social behavior in California ground squirrels
- mapping monarch butterflies and milkweed across the Bay Area
- monitoring ephemeral pools in Pine Creek
- mapping tree and shrub dieback on and around Mount Diablo, and
- camera trap findings on nesting American kestrel behavior.
Check out the entire Mary Bowerman Science and Research colloquium program here.
California ground squirrels are social creatures and may use information from other squirrels to find food. Photo by Scott Hein.
More than 200 people registered for the event.
In addition to the research presented, attendees were treated to a premiere of a short film in the Diablo Range Revealed series. It featured Connolly Ranch and how five generations of ranchers have defended a major wildlife corridor.
Connolly Ranch has been protected for five generations and serves as an important wildlife corridor. Photo by Scott Hein.
The series explores the plants, animals, and ecology of the northern Diablo Range, particularly as they recover from the fires, from Mount Diablo to Pacheco Pass. To view the current playlist and future episodes, please go to the Diablo Range Revealed page on our website.
You can view a recording of the entire colloquium here:
Thank you to the staff and committee members who made this colloquium happen and to the presenters for sharing their exciting work!
