April 2023 EcoQuest - City Nature Challenge and Berberis repens
To celebrate spring, we have two challenges for April: document Berberis repens and participate in the 2023 City Nature Challenge!
Berberis repens is also known as creeping Oregon grape or Creeping Mahonia. The genus Berberis (or barberry) is found in temperate and subtropical regions all over the world. There are five recorded species in the barberry genus in Colorado. Berberis repens is a common, low-growing shrub in Colorado. Despite the common name, it is not closely related to the common vine grape (Vitis vinifera). It can be quickly identified year-round through its evergreen, spiny leaf margins (the edges of its leaves have little pokers!) Berberis repens is sometimes confused with Berberis aquifolium (which of course is also called Oregon grape, shoot!)—who is not native to Colorado but common in Oregon and transplanted here as a cultivar. Our Colorado Berberis repens can be distinguished as its leaves aren’t as shiny and it doesn’t grow as tall (Berberis aquifolium may grow to be 3 meters tall!)
Berberis repens tends to flower April-June so look for its yellow flowers. It has purplish-blue berries, which are edible but not especially tasty. Berries can be eaten raw, roasted, or crushed and made into a drink. Roots are known for various medicinal values, such as an antiseptic for cuts and wounds or for rheumatism. Roots and stems may be crushed to be used as a yellow dye. This yellow color comes from the alkaloid berberine, which is also responsible for its bitter taste.
Help DBG document the abundance and distribution of Oregon grape by photographing as many plants as possible in the month of April. Your findings will show up on the April EcoQuest iNaturalist project as well as the overall Denver EcoFlora Project.
The City Nature Challenge will take place throughout the metro area toward the end of the month. The observation period is April 28 - May 1 and the identification period is between May 2-7. This is an international effort to find and document as many organisms as possible in metro areas around the globe. Any living organism is fair game for observation – plants, animals, birds, insects, fish – they all contribute to the City Nature Challenge! Last year, over 41,000 people participated, logging 815,000+ observations of more than 32,000 species! Last year, over 41,000 people participated globally, logging 815,000+ observations of more than 32,000 species!
It’s easy to participate – your iNaturalist observations will automatically be added to the City Nature Challenge 2023 Denver-Boulder metro project if they are made during the challenge event and occur in the greater metro area. Additionally, all plant and fungal observations will automatically be added to the Denver EcoFlora Project. Last year, 410 different species of plants and fungi were observed during the challenge. We can’t wait to see what you discover this year!
Photo taken by @darth_schrader
WHAT IS AN ECOQUEST?
EcoQuests, part of the Denver EcoFlora project, challenge citizens to become citizen scientists and observe, study, and conserve the native plants of the City via iNaturalist, an easy-to-use mobile app.
HOW DO I GET STARTED?
- Download the iNaturalist app or register online at iNaturalist.org
- Take photos of the plants in bloom that you find on your daily neighborhood walk. It is ok if they are weeds! But avoid taking photos of cultivated plants in gardens or in your home.
- If you are concerned about revealing the location of sensitive organisms or observations at your own house, you can hide the exact location from the public by changing the "geoprivacy" of the observation to "obscured."
- Post your findings on iNaturalist via the app
- Your observations will automatically be added to the Denver EcoFlora Project
You can add an identification to your photo when you post your findings on iNaturalist, or leave it blank for others to identify.
WHAT IS THE GOAL?
The EcoFlora project is designed to meaningfully connect citizens with biodiversity, and to assemble novel observations and data on the metro area’s flora to better inform policy decisions and conservation strategies.
