'If You See a Bud, Count it...'

By Steve Martarano, USFWS

The instructions were clear. “If you see a bud,” U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Susan Euing said to her group of about 15 survey volunteers. “Count it as a bloomer!”

Those instructions began the recent annual two-day survey for the endangered Antioch Dunes evening primrose (Oenothera deltoides var. howellii) at the Antioch Dunes National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in Antioch, the only place in the world naturally-occurring populations of the plant species is found.

Euing and wildlife refuge specialist, Louis Terrazas, headed up the counts at both units of the refuge, and also for an earlier two-day survey for Contra Costa wallflower (Erysimum capitatum var. angustatum).

Continue reading the full story to find out how volunteers helped conduct an annual survey for endangered Antioch Dunes evening primrose -- at the only place in the world where it is found.