This is a recording of a (12-hour-long) livestream from September 7, 2023.
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We've embarked on a task almost as monumental as California nature itself: In honor of California Biodiversity Day, we’ve lined up nearly 50 nature experts and enthusiasts to help us read out the scientific names of as many groups of California plants, animals, and fungi as humanly possible … in 12 HOURS. (Yes, you read that right.)
Who knows whether we’ll make it through our list of 7,200+ names SPOILER, we do (a giant number that still doesn’t encompass the true scale of CA nature), but we’re bringing animal costumes, live painting, nature poetry, confidently terrible Latin pronunciations, and so much more to the effort.
It’s colossal, chaotic, strange, beautiful, fascinating, and more than a little overwhelming, but in all the best ways - aka a perfect homage to California’s incredible nature. Join us in celebrating California Biodiversity Day in a way no one ever has before … possibly for very good reason.
Intro and Land Acknowledgement 00:00
Arya Natarajan & her easel 08:50
Jen Norris & Madeline Drake 29:03
Mauna Dasari cross-stitching 44:11
Luigie Alequín moths speed-read 1:05:20
José G. González reads foxes & fungi 1:12:52
Nicha Leaser slays pronunciation 1:25:07
Jack Dumbacher does bird calls 1:35:34
Chrissy Piotrowski teaches Worms 101 1:49:20
Alex Astras helps with beetles 2:09:54
Darien Fiorino reads bats & (true) bugs 2:22:33
Elora López-Nandam takes on sponges & anemones 2:36:22
Darien's back with some misc. animals 2:45:12
Sadie Samuels lists some mollusks 2:50:35
Melissa Felder chips away at insects 3:04:23
Sue Pemberton pronounces isopods & pinnipeds 3:19:03
Paul Holman-Kursky guesses common names 3:33:02
Sadie Samuels speed-draws 3:55:49
Alison Gould reads glowing creatures 4:13:39
Adriana Hernandez lists liliopsids 4:24:35
Rebecca Albright names cnidarians 4:35:43
Moe Flannery gives a mammals & birds masterclass 4:48:40
Darien Fiorino shows lost birds some love 5:10:31
Los Tenorio reads flies and flowers 5:25:04
Arya Natarajan takes on cartilaginous fish 5:39:23
Alison Young sings about shells 5:53:25
Sydney Davenport is up counting her worms 6:08:09
Gregg Castro & Shannon Tushingham 6:23:27
Patrick Sysiong pronounces procellariformes 6:42:00
Rebecca Johnson talks tidepool critters 6:54:08
Iris MacMillen, a sequoia, & a caterpillar review lichens 7:09:20
Avery Hill plays banjo over plant names 7:22:42
Mindee Kashiwagi helps out with more insects 7:38:53
Lauren Esposito shares all things arachnid 7:50:53
Sadie Samuels says some 'shrooms 8:10:06
Laura Fong, an adult Chinook, & a fry feature fish 8:24:51
Gabby Farrer makes steady insect progress 8:38:54
Olivia Van Damme reads poetry & plants 8:53:44
Shannon Bennet takes on a spelling bee (with mosquitoes) 9:08:48
Ayanna Browne breezes through reptiles 9:26:24
Sterling Balice covers California plants 9:39:55
Sarah Jacobs discusses more CA plants 9:53:43
Nat Kramm buzzes through bees 10:10:45
Grace Kim continues to name insects & plants 10:23:17
Jacob Gorneau (mothman) speaks on spiders 10:38:07
Mitch Ashley annunciates arthropod names 10:55:46
Luana Melnek dos Anjos reads (still more) moths & fungi 11:08:21
Sea Starya Natarajan goes over echinoderms 11:21:35
Spin for Beetles! 11:41:33
Mad dash through the names we missed 11:48:14
Thank you & GOOD NIGHT 11:52:44
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We’re dedicated to celebrating and protecting the biodiversity of our state through our mission, including Thriving California programs just like this one. Every donation will help us reach our $15,000 goal! bit.ly/3sIKbVt