Blog

Research funded in part by one of the Save Mount Diablo Mary Bowerman Science and Research Program’s grants has now been featured in an article by KQED. The grant helped…

Happy spring! Gather your family, friends, and CalNat cohort and contribute your iNaturalist observation skills to your local community organizations and help collect data for science! April 26-29 City Nature Challenge: The City…

Dr. Jennifer E. Smith and her students received a grant from Save Mount Diablo’s Mary Bowerman Science and Research Program in 2018. The grant, “An integrated approach to understanding behavioral…

Ryan Fay and Ray Sullivan received a Mary Bowerman Science and Research Program grant in 2018. Ryan Fay, Geologist at Albion Partners, presented their research on Marsh Creek volcanics at Save…

Brandt Weary, Entomologist, received a 2018 grant from Save Mount Diablo’s Mary Bowerman Science and Research Program and presented his research at Save Mount Diablo’s 5th Annual Mary Bowerman Science…

On Tuesday, December 4, Save Mount Diablo’s 5th Annual Mary Bowerman Science and Research Colloquium was held at the David Brower Center in Berkeley, CA. (The Center’s name honors the…

This year’s Bioblitz was the most highly attended SMD Bioblitz since 2007, with seventy-five biologists and expert naturalists compared to the usual thirty to forty naturalists of years past. Participants came from LSA, Nomad Ecology, Swaim Biological, UC Davis, UC Berkeley, the California Academy of Sciences, and the California Native Plant Society, among others, and donated their time over the weekend.

Arroyo Del Cerro is home to the federally listed California red-legged frog and “has the potential for California tiger salamander,” said Malcolm Sproul. Other species were spotted as well, including the endemic Contra Costa manzanita. (Endemic means this species of manzanita only occurs in the area.) In total, 419 species were found, a high number that reflects the diverse habitat on the land.

Initiated in 2013 in memoriam of our co-founder Dr. Mary Leo Bowerman, the Mary Bowerman Science and Research Program provides small grants for research projects, especially to students, on Save Mount Diablo’s properties and the network of protected lands in the Mount Diablo region. 

Save Mount Diablo is now accepting 2018 Mary Bowerman Science & Research grant applications. Grants of up to $1,000 will be awarded to applicants who are conducting studies that will enhance the ecological understanding of the region and inform land management and conservation practices. The deadline for applications is February 28, 2018. 

Summary –
Save Mount Diablo’s 2017 BioBlitz brought together 35 scientists to catalog species during a 24-hour survey on Marsh Creek State Historic Park and Marsh Creek Reservoir. With their collective expertise, the group provided an ecological snapshot of the Marsh Creek State Historic Park and Marsh Creek Reservoir for CA State Parks and Contra Costa County Flood Control District staff. Participants explored rolling grasslands, creek channels, and the perimeter of the reservoir,  logging plants and wildlife from the insect to the avian.  Save Mount Diablo hosts annual Bioblitz events to better understand and protect the biodiversity of the Diablo Range.