Participate in a Citizen Science Activity
iNaturalist is a joint initiative of the California Academy of Sciences and the National Geographic Society.
iNaturalist is a free app that you can download on a mobile device. It allows you to take photos of organisms and it has a system of helping the community classify what is found and where it is found. By working with the app at natural sites, or even in your own back yard and neighborhood, you can participate in an ongoing set of science projects. Your contributions will be made avaiable to professional science researchers.
For more information visit their website at: http://www.inaturalist.org
Or download their free app at: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/inaturalist/id421397028
Helpful info:
- Be sure to turn your location on for the app so it can automatically record the coordinates where you were when you made your observation.
- Privacy concerns? If you are using the app from home you can choose the OBSCURE mode which allows researchers to get the most accurate coordinates stored with you data but your account will not show your exact location. It will offer only a general area.
- Don't worry if you are unsure of your identification. The information is reviewed by scientists before it is submitted into the database for use in research.