Sudden Oak Death Blitz 2026, Citizen science while you hike!

Join Monterey County residents and enthusiasts to sample for Sudden Oak Death anywhere in Monterey County the weekend of Saturday April 18th through Tuesday April 21st. The SOD Blitz Survey Project is a popular 19-year old citizen science program that allows volunteers from all walks of life to be involved in the fight against Sudden Oak Death in their local community. SOD is a deadly disease of oaks and related tree species present in 17 California Counties and is caused by the exotic pathogen Phytophthora ramorum. Oaks affected by SOD become highly flammable and, by burning at very high intensity, they contribute to the spread of wildfires and heighten the threat of ignition for homes and buildings. SOD-affected oaks are also at greater risk of failure and may become hazardous for any person or structure close to them.
Anybody can participate in the SOD blitzes in the Spring of each year after an easy 1-hour long online training (found at www.sodblitz.info) and after picking up the necessary collection materials at a local SOD Blitz collection/drop-off station. About thirty such stations are conveniently located around California (mostly in coastal counties).

Starting on Saturday April 18th participants can pick up their sample packets any time after 10 am at the Palo Corona Discovery Center, 4860 Carmel Valley Road (Click here for Google Maps), and begin sampling. Look for a black and yellow Costco Tote with a sign for SOD Blitz Samples at the door to the Discovery Center. The Palo Corona gates are open sunrise to sunset each day. No need to pick-up sampling packets right at 10am Saturday morning, participants can pick them up anytime the gates are open throughout the weekend. If you'd like to talk in person, I'll be at the sampling station on Saturday from 10-12noon to answer your questions. Please return any samples, and any un-used materials, to the same SOD Blitz station by 12noon Tuesday April 21st.

All samples will be sent to Berkeley where they will be analyzed for the presence of Phytophthora ramorum, all at no cost to you! Sample results typically come out in October. You can find the results of all previous SOD Blitz surveys on-line at www.sodblitz.info. Prior year SOD blitzes have been incredibly successful, resulting in the survey of almost 20,000 trees across the entire State and without incident. The results of statewide surveys have identified new local outbreaks of the disease and determined disease severity in areas already known to be affected by SOD. A map identifying trees affected by SOD -and thus infectious- is accessible on both the [www.sodblitz.org](www.sodblitz.info) page and on sodmap.org.
Particularly useful is the map available on the free App SOD map Mobile (downloadable both on Android and iPhone) which further allows users to determine the risk of an oak contracting Sudden Oak Death in the location where they are standing.

Get involved: there are options to protect our beloved oaks but they only work if concerned citizen scientists like yourself get involved and if trees are treated before infection. Thanks to the SOD Blitz, Californians can find a detailed map of the disease which provides the knowledge necessary to decide whether treating their oaks may be urgently needed.

This year is especially important because we have identified a new variant of the pathogen which is thought to be more aggressive and has a wider host range. All samples will be analyzed to determine which variant is present.

Sudden Oak Death Blitzes Format:

1. Training (1-hour) online at www.sodblitz.info, ideally done before collecting the sampling materials at the SOD Blitz Station.
2. Once at your local SOD Blitz Station you can pick up one or two collection packets. Each packet allows you to sample 10 trees. Do not take more than 2 packets unless you talked to the organizer.
3. It is easiest to download the free App “SODmap mobile” before you start the survey to help determine the exact location of the trees you sample, or you can use a gps device.
4. The Monterey County SOD Blitz will start on Saturday April 18th at 10am and end on Tuesday April 21st at 12 noon. You can pick up sample materials any time after 10am Saturday, but all samples and any unused collection materials need to be returned before noon on Tuesday.
5. You can sample anywhere you like all weekend long, on private properties with the owner’s permission, alongside public roads and in parks or open spaces that are open to the public.
6. Any questions? Visit www.sodblitz.info or email Event Organizer:
   Kerri Frangioso, kfrangioso@ucdavis.edu.

SOD Blitz Station: Palo Corona Discovery Center
4860 Carmel Valley Rd, Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA 93923
Click here for the location on Google Maps