Rocks Biological Consulting

We are #hiring for as-needed field biologist positions. Know anyone who might be interested? https://lnkd.in/gbyetvvF

We are once again honored to host two sessions of the Sensitive Butterflies of San Diego County?training. This SoCal Environmental Resources Training (SERT) course was led by renowned entomologist David Faulkner and covered morphological identification, natural history, and distribution of some of San Diego’s most sensitive butterfly species, including Quino checkerspot butterfly, Laguna Mountain skipper, Hermes copper, and dun skipper. The trainings also included the CESA candidate Crotch’s bumblebee and the federally endangered Delhi Sands flower-loving fly. As part of the instruction, attendees were able to practice their newfound identification skills on dozens of mounted specimens. Big thanks to David for sharing his extensive knowledge with other local biologists! ? We are proud to offer this course and contribute to local conservation efforts. Through the course, dozens of biologists have improved their skills and knowledge of local invertebrates which can be applied directly in the field. Do you know someone who would be interested in this course next year? Tag them below!?

It's a bird... It's a plane...?It's a fly? Yes! The Delhi Sands flower-loving fly (Rhaphiomidas terminatus abdominalis) is a federally endangered species that has an extremely limited range and occurs exclusively on (big surprise) Delhi series sands in the San Bernardino and Riverside area. We are pleased announce that our very own senior biologist & co-owner Ian Hirschler is now officially permitted to survey for this species. Reach out if you have any survey needs or just want to talk DSFLF!

A spot has opened up in the February 1st session of our Sensitive Butterflies of San Diego County SoCal Environmental Resources Training (SERT) Course! Register today! Course details and the registration link are provided below. Registration Link: https://lnkd.in/gBx8J_ME

Five spaces remain available in the January 25th session and six spaces remain available in the February 1st session of our Sensitive Butterflies of San Diego County SoCal Environmental Resources Training (SERT) Course! Register today! Course details and the registration link are provided below. ? Registration Link:?https://lnkd.in/gBx8J_ME

Last Saturday Rocks Bio participated in the 125th Christmas Bird Count! We saw a total of 1,385 individual birds across 70 species at the Sweetwater Reservoir area. Collectively, the San Diego Count Circle had a record-breaking 226 species! Rocks Bio was the only group to find a prairie falcon, which is a species not seen every year. It is an honor to get to contribute to the longest-running citizen science project in the country and we are already looking forward to next year! Shoutout to our friend Merlin for the awesome photos!

2025 BUTTERFLY TRAINING COURSE - Rocks Biological Consulting and SoCal Environmental Resources Training (SERT) are excited to announce the return of the Sensitive Butterflies of San Diego County: Identification and Informational Training Course with renowned entomologist David Faulkner! The course will be offered on two dates, January 25th and February 1st, 2025. Only 15 spots are available for each course date, see flyer for details! Register here: https://lnkd.in/gBx8J_ME

We are thrilled to announce the promotion of Alec Goodman to senior biologist!??? ? Alec has extensive biological experience in southern California, with a specialty in desert ecology. Since joining our team in 2021, Alec has consistently demonstrated his passion for biological work and has been instrumental in training our field biologists on desert biology. His dedication to Rocks Biological Consulting and his positive energy have significantly contributed to our overall success. ? In his new role, Alec will continue to lead critical field efforts, manage projects, mentor junior team members, and drive important projects forward. ? Please join us in congratulating him on this well-deserved promotion! We're excited to see all the great things he will achieve as a senior biologist!

Our team had a great time at the recent AEP annual awards & scholarship banquet.?We got to see some of our favorite clients and colleagues "in real life," learn about some awesome projects & local initiatives, plus support AEP's scholarship program through event sponsorship.?And on top of all that, we won some nice prizes in the raffle! Thanks AEP and especially the events committee for a wonderful evening.

Our friend and colleague David Faulkner stopped by the office last week to teach the Rocks Bio field crew how to prepare and mount insect specimens. David brought specimens from all over the world and walked though proper prep and mounting technique. We applied our new skills on a variety of insects ranging from large butterflies down to micro bee flies smaller than a pin head!?These skills will help the team identify insects in the field, and further enhance our knowledge of the natural world.? ? David is a forensic entomologist and research associate at the San Diego Natural History Museum. We are very fortunate to team with David regularly and learn from such an accomplished scientist. Thanks for coming by & sharing your expertise, David!