Botanists converge on the US-Mexico border, documenting an ecosystem split by a wall

(19 May 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Jacume, Mexico - 19 April 2024
1. Volunteer botanists and others gather near the border wall to observe native flowers and plants during the Border Bioblitz
2. Close-up of a field of flowers
3. Volunteers take photos of flowers
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Mariana Fernandez, botanist:
“Right now we are in Jacume and this is a really good place to botanize and be part of the this binational event called Bioblitz."
5. Participants gather for a group photo
6. A sign by the San Diego Zoo Alliance shows different rare flowers of the area
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Mariana Fernandez, botanist:
"Where people from California and Baja California now are trying to register the major number of plants and animals that live here."
8. A historic structure amongst the flower field
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Mariana Fernandez, botanist:
"This is an event that is in both countries all along the border."
10. A participant walks along the border wall
11. Flowers in front of the border wall and a U.S. Border Patrol vehicle
12. Red flowers from a rare plant wave in the wind
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Mariana Fernandez, botanist:
"We found a new observation, maybe a new population of lathyrus splendens. This is a plant that we are looking at for the Baja Rare project."
14. Fernandez takes a close-up photos of the flowers
15. A participant checks out the flowers
16. SOUNDBITE (English) Mariana Fernandez, botanist:
"So that's why we stopped. Because we saw the beautiful flowers. Really big flowers. And we also have fruits that look like peas. Regular peas. So yea this is a cool plant. And I'm really, really happy for today. Definitely."
17. Road signs along the border
18. Wild horses roam among the wildflowers
19. Student volunteer Victoria Casas Escobar looks at a plant
20. SOUNDBITE (English) Victoria Casas Escobar, student volunteer:
"This peninsula's ecosystem, its flora is so beautiful. And I've seen how its diversity is so important and precious and how do you say - "unico?" - one of a kind right?"
21. A sign shows amphibious animals of the region
22. Yellow flowers cover a roadside
23. SOUNDBITE (English) Victoria Casas Escobar, student volunteer:
"And I think more and more people need to know about it. And it's fun to come outside and see how these, this beautiful fauna, I mean, flora is part of our world."
24. Flowers along the border wall
25. Yellow flowers cover the landscape
STORYLINE:
Botanists and citizen scientists armed with the iNaturalist app on their smartphones are recording the biodiversity along the U.S.-Mexico border in May.
Called the Border Bioblitz, more than 1,000 volunteers are recording as many species as possible.
Armed with the iNaturalist app on their smartphones that identifies plants and animals, their goal during May is to fill in a data gap that could lead to more protections for the region's natural richness, which has been overshadowed by news of drug trafficking and migrant smuggling.
Participating botanists say the endeavor started when the former Trump administration added hundreds of miles of border walls including through the biodiversity hotspot of Baja California.
The United Nations will hold a high-level meeting of signatories to the Convention on Biological Diversity that aims to protect 30% of land, freshwater and oceans considered important for biodiversity by 2030, known as 30 by 30
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[@arcie3716]

Mariana seems so passionate about this project. Wishing her and everyone well 🌼