In partnership with Alianza Ecologista – a Tulare County environmental alliance – Circle J – Norris Ranch is holding its Community Biodiversity Festival Saturday, February 26. The public is invited to attend and participate in fun, hands-on activities suitable for the whole family.
Beginning at 9:00 a.m., attendees can participate in the annual BioBlitz to document the biodiversity of Circle J utilizing the iNaturalist app. With help from student guides, attendees will be challenged to photograph unique living organisms they discover and upload the images to the Circle J Biodiversity Project on the iNaturalist website. Attendees interested in participating in the BioBlitz are encouraged to download the iNaturalist app to their devices prior to the event. Data collected from BioBlitz enables the program to create online instructional resources for classes to access and learn more about the species they will see at the ranch.
Following a lunch break, attendees will spend the afternoon planting trees for future wildlife habitats.
Circle J – Norris Ranch is the beautiful 620-acre field study site located in the Sierra foothills. The program, which is operated by the SCICON school of outdoor education, offers all grade levels a wide variety of field study experiences that enrich and extend classroom learning. Studies conducted on the property are designed to expand the appreciation of the environmental and aesthetic values of the outdoors, and increase understanding of the relationship between humans and nature. Circle J – Norris Ranch is located at 41893 Yokohl Valley Road in Springville.
For more information on the Community Biodiversity Festival, email Amanda Driver at circlej@tcoe.org.