What is Citizen Science?
Before you can understand iNaturalist, you need to know what citizen science is.
Citizen science, or community science, is when everyday people – students, families, hobbyists, or anyone curious about nature – help collect valuable data for scientists. It bridges the gap between researchers and the public, creating good science that is more accessible! To learn more about how this science is made, check out Dr. Corey T. Callaghan’s research page at the University of Florida.
Now enter iNaturalist!
iNaturalist is a free, community-powered platform that allows anyone to document and share observations of nature, contributing to scientific research. It’s as simple as snapping a photo of a plant, insect, bird, or any living thing (besides people and pets), and uploading the “observation” to the app or website. A community of scientists, hobbyists, and passionate people are waiting for your observations to help with identification, to push them to “research-grade” – when 2/3 of the identifiers have reached an agreement on the species. Observations don’t just sit there; they become part of a global project to map, identify, and conserve biodiversity. Check out these articles for how iNaturalist observations are changing science for the better: iNaturalist accelerates biodiversity research, species discovery, and for more, here is a NY Times article discussing the contributions of iNaturalist and citizen science using this paper as a basis.
Why it matters!
Beyond individual observations, iNaturalist also supports community projects that focus on specific species, habitats, locations, species interactions, and so many more.
For example, the Florida Museum of Natural History hosts a project called Learn About the Insects in Your Backyard with iNaturalist. This initiative, or iNaturalist project, encourages Floridians to observe and document the insects around their homes, helping scientists better understand local insect diversity and abundance. A simple photo of a bee, beetle, or butterfly could contribute to pollinator research and urban biodiversity in a rapidly developing state!
iNaturalist is reshaping the world of science and allowing individual observations to make a global impact on ecological conservation!
What you can do.
It’s easy to get involved, and becoming even easier as more users upload observations. The AI-image analyzer is growing better with every research-grade observation submitted to iNaturalist.
To get involved:
- Download the iNaturalist app (for IOS and Android) or visit iNaturalist.org!
- Start exploring your backyard, neighborhood, or local park. Try to take good photos, and you can use this guide for taking photos for iNaturalist.
- Upload your observations and watch as the growing community identifies them.
- Join a local project, like the Florida Museum’s insect project!
- Stay curious and keep learning! The best part about science is that you never stop learning. Over time, you’ll build your own field guide!
Your challenge for today is to install the app, create an account, and upload your first five observations! Bonus points if you submit five different taxa.
Information from iNaturalist. Cover image by Janina Mulling (University of Florida).