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​At a glance:

• Pointed scales, almost dragon-like
• Spotty patterning in grey or brown​
• Bright blue stomach stripes! Especially when males are breeding in the spring time
• Yellow along hind limbs, if you can catch one
• Slow repeating pushup display –This is exactly what it sounds like, lizards often use their legs to push themselves up and down off the ground either as a territorial behavior or to communicate during courtship, fence lizards have a very recognizable display once identified, slow repeating ups and downs

​Sceloporus occidentalis (Western Fence Lizard)
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​Fence lizards are one of the most well distributed species throughout California with a range from beyond the Oregon border to down through Mexico. Aside from urban backyards, these lizards inhabit a variety of habitats from wet woodlands to coastal scrub and chaparral. They can be found basking on rocks or any climbable surface from stucco walls to wooden fences. 

At a glance:

• Small rounded scales
• Speckled patterning
• And, as their name would suggest, a dark blotch just behind their front limbs, if you see that blotch you know what you’re looking at!
• White stripe across eyes
• Quick two-pump pushup display, side-blotched lizards often share ranges with fence lizards, so if you’re able to see the two in the same day, you’ll notice the difference in pushups!
• Orange, yellow or blue throats can be seen on males and during the spring breeding months, they become more colorful on their backs in beautiful blues and oranges

​At a glance:

• Rectangular-like scales
• Irregular black/white banding down body
• Yellow eyes
• Green head with large mouth
• Strong jaws, so be careful if you pick one up!
• If its green and has yellow eyes, it’s probably a gator –it is worth mentioning that the northern member of this genus looks very similar but with darker brown eyes

Elgaria multicarinata (Southern Alligator Lizard)
These lizards are named for their strange resemblance to crocodiles and alligators. They prefer environments with running water and are often seen in suburban communities with irrigated gardens and lawns. They’re excellent climbers and can ascend trees in search of insects and bird eggs.  

At a glance:

• Small granular scales
• Black and cream striped body
• Can also be seen with pink/orange coloration
• Tails can grow up to twice their body length -imagine having a tail twice as tall as you!
• Pointed nose
• Impressively fast, good luck catching one!

Aspidoscelis tigris (Western Whiptail)
This fast moving species can be found throughout the Central Valley and Southern California. They inhabit warm dry areas from chaparral to woodlands. Unlike opportunistic reptiles that sit and wait for prey, whiptails are active foragers and this species is often found on the go. This species can look a lot like the side-blotched so its behavior will help to tell them apart!


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At a glance:

• Pointed scales throughout the body and along sides give these critters a tough appearance
• Spiny head and jaw
• Brown and tan irregularly banded body
• Faint red or pink color in head spines
• This species is also known to squirt blood from its eyes as defense! Don’t give it a reason to cry

​Phrynosoma blainvillii (Coastal Horned Lizard)
Also commonly called “horny toads,” these dragon-like little creatures are scattered all along Southern California’s coast and up into the Central Valley. They prefer sandy environments with loose soil and can also be found scurrying around chaparral and woodland communities.​

While ectothermy may have been an earlier developed trajectory in the tree of life, it is in no way primitive and provides unique benefits that are denied to the warm blooded kin. Being endotherms, human metabolisms demand a high caloric intake in order to maintain their constant body temperatures. Because ectotherms are excused from this demand, not only are they able to survive on less food –thus able to better survive in environments with scarce resources- but they are also able to invest a greater percentage of consumed energy into producing the next generation.

Was there anything you were surprised to learn about during your time with Tidal Influence?
I was surprised to learn how political the restoration process is with both Colorado Lagoon and Los Cerritos Wetlands.Before TI, I did not know how these small community projects fit into the local politics and how politics play a vital role in the environmental field.

What are you up to now, professionally?
I am currently an Assistant Biologist and Arborist at LSA Associates in Irvine. As an environmental consulting firm, this job is not research oriented like the work I performed at Tidal Influence. Some of the work that I currently do is monitoring construction activities to protect plant, animal, and avian species. I conduct tree assessments and tree inventories and some of the unique work that I have been involved with is geotechnical boring and monitoring gas pipe line reroutes. This job is also heavily weighted in report writing.

How did your time with Tidal Influence impact or support you reaching your current position?
Tidal Influence prepared me for my current position through exposure to a variety of skills. The research and monitoring experience I gained through TI taught me important sampling methods and techniques that have helped me in my career as a biologist.

When and how did you get involved with Tidal Influence?
I volunteered! I needed a senior project for my degree at Cal State Long Beach and contacted Eric Zahn. He offered me an opportunity to conduct avian bird surveys and Zedler Marsh and Colorado Lagoon. After graduating, I kept on asking Tidal Influence if they needed work and continued my involvement.

What types of projects or programs were you involved with?
I conducted vegetation surveys, water quality surveys, fish surveys, and research. I was also in charge of the statistical analysis for monitoring projects. I helped with outreach by educating the community on Facebook and other mediums and did lots of grant writing to fundraise for Tidal Influence’s nonprofit clients. On occasion, I also helped to lead volunteer groups for public events at Los Cerritos Wetlands and Colorado Lagoon.

. If you could pass on any information to students interested in getting involved with the Tidal Influence internship program, what would you tell them?
Volunteer and work hard to learn! Invest the time to understand what is going on​. You get out of it what you put into it. Put effort in to learn the plants,to volunteer, and to understand the politics. Yes, politics are important even for biologists.

What were you surprised to learn during your time with TI?
The first thing that comes to mind was how many scientific plant names we could learn and retain! But I think one of the most surprising things I learned was how people with passion and commitment can make a difference in their community. Environmental restoration used to feel daunting and inaccessible, as if only large firms with powerful litigation could take a crack at it. Tidal Influence is a very small team of extremely passionate people who have been able to work on a lot of projects and recruit a lot of local people to make restoration a reality. I was really inspired by Eric Zahn’s mentality, which I would describe as let’s figure it out and let’s make it happen. 

What are you up to now (professionally)? 
Well, I just defended my Master’s thesis, which feels huge. I am also currently working for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife in their non-game wildlife program. I’m currently helping with mesocarnivore monitoring in the Sierra Nevada area and I’ll be spending time this winter in the backcountry maintaining camera traps. One of our focal species is the endangered Sierra Nevada Red Fox, and we’re also hoping to get more information on our resident wolverine, Buddy. After that I will be working on bioaccoustic surveys of Great Grey Owls. 

How did your time with Tidal Influence impact or support reaching your current position?
I think that my experience at Tidal Influence really helped give me confidence, both professionally and personally. I am very proud of my work as lead intern, and I am proud of the work my cohort accomplished. I think my leadership experience helped me be a better candidate for leading teams and for working independently. This internship also helped me confirm that I want to work in ecology as a career. 

When and how did you get involved with Tidal Influence?
I started my internship with Tidal Influence in October of 2014. I was in my last year of graduate school and I was feeling really nervous about graduating and entering the job market again. My graduate work was in physiology, so this internship seemed like a great way to get hands-on experience and return to the field. I really love and ultimately wanted to pursue ecology. While I’ve had a slew of internship experiences regarding animals, I had really neglected plants and looked forward to learning more about them.  I applied online and later earned the lead intern position.

What types of projects or programs were you involved with?
I was fortunate for being able to work on many different programs with Tidal Influence. One of my favorite programs was with Rosie the Riveter, where high school students came once a month to help us accomplish large-scale projects while learning new skills. I also had the privilege to work on a number of restoration projects around Long Beach as well as helping grow native plants in the nursery for future projects. I think that the program I enjoyed the most was giving tours of the Colorado Lagoon to elementary school students.
Environmentally, I did a lot of restoration in Long Beach, which was very special. Coming from Sacramento, it’s really shocking to see how very little wetlands are left in Long Beach. One striking project to me was the transformation of a barren moonscape to an area with thousands of native wetland plants. 

If you could pass on any information to students interested in getting involved with the TI internship program, what would you tell them?
Dive in and say yes! One of the amazing things about Tidal Influence is how many programs are going on that you will have a chance to work on. If you can, say yes to the opportunities that present themselves. Through Tidal Influence you will have the opportunity to learn about plants of course, but also animals, the ecology of the area, about other local projects and programs, and you will meet tons of really amazing and inspiring people. You will also learn about things going on in your own community you had no idea even existed. 

Use: Relieve toothaches, stomachaches, treat burns and wounds (leaf paste), treatment of respiratory ailments, fever, and pain (tea) 
For Tongva rituals: girl's puberty ritual, men are smudged with CA sagebrush and white sage before hunting

Use: leaves, flowers, and stems are mashed up and used to treat wounds and pain. Tongva chews the leaves for fresher breath!
For rituals: all parts of the plant are dried into a ceremonial incense 

Use: leaves and roots help relieve headaches, intestinal and stomach problems
The leaves are brewed into a tea and gargled for bronchial pain. 
The shoots and the seeds are edible.  Leaves are used to line granaries to keep the acorns dry.  Also, the seeds are ground and scattered during ceremonies.  Lastly, the stems are used to pierce ears.

Use: To relieve throat and stomach ailments from the crushed seed pods
Bladderpod is also baked and eaten by Tongva
The roots are used for a green dye used to dye baskets

Use: Alleviates cramps, coughs, abdomen, and chest pain (tea). Itching and rashes were treated using the bark
The berries are covered with a sour-sweet, sticky substance, and when stirred in water they provide a refreshing drink.  To alleviate the thirst of a long journey, the Tongva roll leaves into a wad and place it in the mouth while walking. 

As spring draws to a close and seasons begin to turn…it’s time to welcome some of our favorite summer time visitors- the terns! Terns are a family of seabirds found worldwide that spend their lives near the sea, rivers, and wetlands. Terns can be seen throughout Southern California diving into the water, bill first to catch fish.