May 15, 2020 is Endangered Species Day, and we’re highlighting Endangered Species in the Wilderness Park – Nevin’s Barberry (Berberis nevinii), which is listed as Endangered by both the State of California and US Fish & Wildlife, and Crotch’s Bumble Bee, which is a candidate for Endangered Species listing in the state of California.
Nevin’s Barberry (shown above) is an evergreen shrub with prickly leaves bearing bright yellow, sweetly scented flowers in the early spring, followed by red-orange berries. Many bees and wasps love its flowers.
Crotch’s Bumble Bee (Bombus crotchii) could be confused with the much more common Yellow-faced Bumble Bee (Bombus vosnesenskii), but it’s face is black, and the yellow stripe on the abdomen is wider and closer to the thorax.
If you are out in the Wilderness Park, and spot any rare or endangered species, please let us know by emailing info@friendsofthewildernesspark.org. If you are an iNaturalist user, please post any photos to iNaturalist, but do also email us. Because iNaturalist obscures the location, the sighting won’t appear in our Wilderness Park project (https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/biota-of-the-claremont-hills-wilderness-park).
For more information on Endangered Species Day and what you can do to help Endangered Species, see:
Friends of the Claremont Hills Wilderness Park 