Become a Part of CALeDNA as a Community Scientist

There are a few ways in which you can participate with CALeDNA:

• REGISTER: All people who have registered will receive two emails a year to ask who wants to participate in our Spring and Fall bioblitzes, which you can do independently or in groups.
• INDEPENDENT: Collect samples on your own for CALeDNA. Once you register on the site, then send us an email at uc.caledna@gmail.com letting us know some of your ideas of interesting places to collect soil and sediment samples.  It could be your backyard, or a nearby natural area. We'll make sure we either have the permits, or don't need extra permits, to do research on the samples you wan to collect. We'll send you a kit in the mail with all that you need to collect soil or sediment for CALeDNA. We'll also send you a link to our webform you can use with a phone or computer to enter information about where you sampled. Once you're done collecting the sample, email us to let us know you're done and we'll send you a return shipping label for your kit. You'll be able to track if your sample is processed for eDNA research through our website, and eventually, to explore results from your site and sites of other areas where people have made collections! 
• GROUP: See our calendar and Facebook page for upcoming bioblitzes. These are small groups trips, usually of 10-40 people, to hike in a natural area and collect samples. We work with local experts such as rangers and naturalists to boost your learning while your on the walk. It's usually 2-3 hours, but sometimes we do overnight excursions too!  You can also let us know if you have a group interested in running a bioblitz with us. We love supporting groups to collect for CALeDNA.

• On any trip to collect samples for CALeDNA, we encourage people to add observation data so we can make quality check eDNA results with what you see. We ask people to try iNaturalist, where you can upload photos of any living thing you see, from lichen, mushrooms and algae to plants and animals.   You can download the iNaturalist app from the google play or apple app store.  Inside the iNaturalist app you can join the CALeDNA project and locate the CALeDNA field guides for amphibians & reptiles, mammals, fish, and birds: