Have you ever come across a native plant and wondered about its role in the ecosystem? Community science offers a way to turn those observations into meaningful data that support research and conservation. In this talk, Dr. Merav Vonshak will share examples from BioBlitz events and other local projects, and show how iNaturalist can help document plant diversity and track changes over time. She will discuss why this work matters, how easy it is to participate and a few practical tips for using iNaturalist effectively.

Dr. Merav Vonshak is an ecologist, naturalist, and citizen science organizer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. She studied ant ecology during her PhD and postdoctoral research and today her work emphasizes connecting communities with local biodiversity. She is the founder of BioBlitz Club, a grassroots initiative that brings volunteers ogether to document plants and wildlife in parks and preserves. She also leads the Newt Patrol, a community group dedicated to monitoring the decline of newt populations near Lexington Reservoir in Los Gatos and efforts to save them.