NativeEndemicIntroduced — each species is tagged by its California status
Tap any species to meet it and see where in the valley it's been found ↓
Where to find them
Every dot is a real sighting logged by a resident or visitor. Pick a species — or tap one above — to learn about it and see where people have found it, so you can go look too.
Some sensitive species (rare plants, nesting raptors) have their exact locations hidden by iNaturalist and are not shown. Dots are colored by the species' group; the dashed line is the town boundary; the green shaded areas are public open space you can visit — tap one for its name and access.
Seen something on your own walk?
Adding it to iNaturalist is exactly how this map grows — and you don't need to know what you found. It's free, and the community helps with the rest.
The year at a glance
Each row is a family of life; the deepest-green cells are the months it's most characteristically active (adjusted for how much people observe overall). Read across for a group's season — down to see what defines a month.
About this almanac — and tell us what you think
The Pulse draws on tens of thousands of iNaturalist observations logged around Portola Valley since 2017, surfacing what's most characteristic of each month and where to find it. It reflects what people have noticed and photographed — not a scientific survey — so a blank patch on the map usually just means no one has logged there yet. Every walk helps fill it in.