Using iNaturalist Records in Your Research
To help students and faculty realize the full potential of the citizen science resource iNaturalist, we had a wonderful presentation by Dr. Vijay Barve on its many uses. He began with a quick tutorial on how to use the app – a good reminder for how easily an educator could implement this tool with a group of students or interested individuals! We then delved into the kind of meta data you can associate with each observation (location, time, species identification if you know it, etc.) and went over some important tips for making a good observation. For example, be sure to take a lot of photos from different angles and to upload several shots for each encounter. This can help future viewers identify the organism if they come across the same species and can provide researchers interested in using the post with more data. Dr. Barve also shared interesting aspects about the site that many casual users might not know about. For instance, you can access a list of species that are commonly misidentified as the species you found, which can help hone your skills and introduce you to a greater number of organisms in similar groups. We also learned that photos can be restricted, so it’s important to check whether you have permission to reproduce someone’s photo in the future, and to make decisions about whether you are comfortable with other people downloading and using your photos.
iNaturalist is a powerful citizen science resource that has grown immensely in recent years. There are now approximately 5 million people posting on the site, ranging from the average neighborhood walker to absolute experts in the field. It can therefore be a fabulous resource for learners and researchers alike. Additionally, iNaturalist now has an app geared towards kids called Seek, where you can take pictures, learn about the plants and animals you find, and earn badges for your observations. At a time when many people have a little extra time to explore their outdoor spaces, and when we’re all a little hungry for more connection, these websites seem like increasingly useful resources for research and classroom material.
Written By Juliette Rubin
Thank you to both Juliette Rubin for writing this article, and Dr. Vijay Barve for hosting the workshop. If you would like the recording please contact us at studentassociation@floridamuseum.ufl.edu
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