Using iNaturalist to contribute your nature observations to science

Citizen submitted data collection is a rapidly expanding activity for citizen scientist and a popular tool for re- searchers. More and more citizens submit their nature ob- servations to online databases, which in turn contribute to research across the world in biodiversity, climate change, and invasive species conservation. Citizens observations contribute to important research and scientists gain ac- cess to a larger data collection network. Popular programs like iNaturalist and eBird allow users to input their sightings of the natural world on their phone, and local experts help guide identifications of observations, engag- ing users further and creating communities. iNaturalist (https: // www. inaturalist. org ) is the most popu- lar general purpose biodiversity portal. It uses a commu- nity driven model to identify and vet observations that allows amateur to professional naturalists to contribute data without needing to be an expert. iNaturalist was created in 2008 with the goal to embrace citizen science data collection of biodiversity observations across the world and to help people learn about nature. Created originally as a collaboration between three graduate students at University of California Berkley, it was later funded by the California Academy of Sciences in 2014 and National Geographic Society in 2017. To date iNaturalist contains almost 13 million individual records of species ranging from fungi, plants, insects, and animals. iNaturalist has been used to study the spread of invasive species, presence of rare or hard to sample species, and been used to discover new occurrences of species across the world. Teachers and nature centers are increasingly using iNaturalist to teach students about topics including wildlife identification, climate change, and even limitations of machine learning.

Matthew Boone & Mathieu Basille

How iNaturalist works men; however, every observation is sub- observations are generally entered sin- ject to community vetting on the iden- gularly, a bulk option is available on the iNaturalist works by accepting tification. Because of this, iNaturalist data portal. user collected presence data on indi- strongly recommends uploading pho- When users upload a picture, vidual species found, which they re- tos or audio of species as supporting iNaturalist attempts to identify and fer to as an “Observation”. Observa- material. Users can input observations make suggestions about the identifica- tions are singular, spatially and tempo- through their phone (which is the eas- tion of the specimen using their newly rally referenced data points uploaded iest method) or through the online por- integrated machine learning software. by a single user. Users can suggest tal, after which observations are entered This software uses local observations their own identification of the speci- into the iNaturalist database. While to weight the likelihood of identifica- iNaturalist for Citizen Science Page 1 tions and give suggestions on possi- app. Once uploaded the photos are any user can download the gathered oc- ble species ID’s. With each suggestion, automatically georeferenced and pos- currence data for personal or research iNaturalist links information like tax- sible identification are suggested via purposes. onomy and species descriptions (pro- iNaturalists newly integrated ma- vided by Wikipedia) to help guide the chine learning software. user’s decisions. Users can put in their Guiding identifications best guess of the identification or simply To help users identify observations “unknown” and allow the community to better, iNaturalist allows uploading identify the observation. Ultimately, this of what they call “Guides”. These are allows any user, beginners and experts online guide books of species in par- alike, to contribute to data collection ticular regions or taxa users expect to without having to know anything spe- encounter. They can be tailored to in- cific about identification of that taxa. dividual projects (“Bird of the Ever- iNaturalist allows you to upload glades BioBlitz”) or specific and regional pictures of your daily nature obser- (“Noctuid Moths of South Florida”). vations to the database. iNaturalist This tool allows the community to steer These observations are added to the 13 users towards likely identifications and million other user submitted observa- teach users about new things to look for tions around the world. as they explore. Anybody can create and Identification then go through the publish a “Guide” using iNaturalist community vetting process that requires online tool, and later share it with a Data validation at least 2 out of 3 additional users fixed URL they can share. Once uploaded to the database, ob- to agree on the identity of a speci- In addition to online guides, the servations are then validated through men. iNaturalist attempts to facilitate website allows users to browse through a community identification effort. Each discussion between users by weighting the global database and identify others photo sample can be reviewed by any identifications higher that are contrary observations. From there you can help registered user on the website. Users to the leading guess. The lowest level to identify specimens or learn key fea- across the iNaturalist community at- of taxonomy that reaches this threshold tures in identifying taxa. iNaturalist tempt to identify each observation down becomes the accepted identification. For attempts to foster a rich online com- to the lowest taxonomic hierarchy pos- example, say some one uploads a pic- munity to help identify observations re- sible. iNaturalist separates observa- ture of a large black bird. Four users gardless of skill level. They do this by tions into two categories: “Casual” and agree it is some type of Grackle (Genus tracking users participation in identify- “Research Grade”. Research Grade ob- quiscalus), but two of them think it is ing other observations and encourag- servations are the highest level of data a Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) ing experts to include descriptions of quality and enter into the scientific while the other two think it is a Boat- how they identified specimens. The on- database that is free to use for research tailed Grackle (Quiscalus major). Be- line community is strengthened by a purposes. To be considered “Research cause neither observation reaches the strict adherence to their broad com- Grade”, observations must contain four 2/3 threshold for identification to the munity guidelines. Hate speech, insults, initial criteria: A date, a spatial georefer- species level, but the genus is accepted harassment are strictly forbidden, and ence, a picture/or sound, and are about by 4/4 users the entry is accepted as a iNaturalist openly bans users who naturally living organisms (not captive Grackle (just genus Quiscalus). If users discriminate in any manner. More nu- or cultivated). This implies that obser- agree above a 2/3 threshold on the anced suggestions include not using all vations without visual or audio evidence species type then the submission is reen- caps, avoiding sarcasm, and not justi- are automatically assumed to be “casual tered as that new species. fying identifications using your creden- grade” and do not enter the research These Research Grade observations tials. iNaturalist’s collection of strict data base, stressing further the impor- are then entered into the Global Bio- core rules and broad suggestive guide- tance of entering photos or audio sam- diversity Information Facility (GBIF) lines help to cultivate a helpful and ac- ples in iNaturalist. The first three cri- database. This international collab- cepting online community that is vital to teria are easily produced with a cell- oration collates biodiversity records the citizen science model. phone, as their camera typically records from scientific experts worldwide, and The iNaturalist website collates both the timestamp and the spatial co- nowadays also includes citizen-science your observations, tracks your statistics, ordinates using the GPS onboard. databases like iNaturalist, Breeding and allows users to submit suggestions You can upload pictures directly Bird Surveys, and eBird. At the GBIF on the identification of your observa- from your phone using the iNaturalist website (https://www.gbif.org/), tion. iNaturalist for Citizen Science Page 2 Projects and BioBlitzes boundary for the project. The URL for tion” button to “Get” your current loca- A strong emphasis for iNaturalist, the event can be shared to participants, tion or “Edit” to manually select a loca- is using its system as part of a project giving additional info and a website for tion. This is important because research group. Termed “Projects”, iNaturalist the project. On the day of the BioBlitz grade observations require to be geo- uses this term as an umbrella to cap- individual participants actively upload referenced. After uploading the photo, ture or enhance specific categories of their photos via the phone app; obser- you can go to “What did you see” and observations. Simple projects can be a vation locations will be recorded as long attempt to identify the specimen using “Collection”, i.e. a collection of all ob- as the users location services are turned iNaturalist suggestions, or leaving it servations with certain criteria. Collec- on. Section leaders for the BioBlitz can as “Unknown”. If you are not able to tions act as a filter for observations submit the results online afterwards us- identify the specimen, it is better to give so a project manager can more eas- ing the bulk import tool. This way even it a broad taxa name like “Plants” or ily track and collect certain types of species without photos can be counted “Aves” or “Reptiles” before submitting. data (for instance creating a project for for the BioBlitz totals. Once georefer- This allows the observation to be sorted a state park, or on moths of Broward enced, the BioBlitz can summarize all and found easier for online community county). A “Traditional” project allows observations within the spatial bound- to identify later. more complicated data collection op- ary. If you are in an area without cell tions than simple observations. In a Tra- phone service or Wi-Fi, then the obser- ditional project, group administrators vations will be stored locally on your can ask for data that is not normally col- Getting started phone, requiring you to hit “Sync” on the app when you get service to push lected like the approximate area of an The easiest way to get started observations to the website. For further invasive species outbreak. with iNaturalist is to sign up for information, there is a plethora of online The most popular use of iNaturalist and download the app. user guides for download, use, and nav- iNaturalist Projects is using You can sign up for iNaturalist on the igation of iNaturalist (https://www. iNaturalist for BioBlitzes, which are website or when you download the app. inaturalist.org/pages/help). intensive citizen-science biodiversity The process requires only an email, and Submitting your daily nature obser- surveys. This allows even inexperi- a user name and password are chosen vations to iNaturalist is a fun and enced users to log observations for the by the user. The app can be freely down- easy way to contribute to biodiversity BioBlitz and allows BioBlitz organiz- loaded on Android or iPhone in their re- research. iNaturalist’s robust apps ers to use iNaturalist as a conve- spective app stores. and supportive online community facil- nient data portal. The BioBlitz Project Submitting an observation is relative itates interactions between users and allows coordinators to interact with the straightforward on the app. When you builds a community that is vital to participants about scheduling, provide find something interesting, you can ei- large scale citizen science projects. As memos, and allows participants to see ther take a picture first and then upload iNaturalist’s user base grows, so the the results of their efforts in pseudo-real it on the app, or take a picture directly uses for this important data set. This time. To use iNaturalist in BioBlitz, within the app. If you take a picture out- makes it an increasingly vital tool for the project manager creates a project side of the app, once uploading the pic- biodiversity research and a novel out- for the BioBlitz and creates a spatial ture to the app you must hit the “Loca- reach tool for educators and scientists. iNaturalist for Citizen Science Page 3