How to Use iNaturalist Making & Sharing Nature Observations for Science Tania Homayoun, PhD, Texas Parks & Wildlife Overview • Texas Nature Trackers program & how we use iNaturalist –Texas Nature Trackers & Conservation Priorities –Texas Conservation Action Plan & Species of Greatest Conservation Need • Getting started with iNaturalist –iNaturalist website tour –Adding observations & Phone apps –Editing observations –Identifying observations –Projects & Places • How to get involved – citizen science and beyond Texas Nature Trackers & how it uses iNaturalist Derek Bridges, Flickr Creative Commons Texas Nature Trackers Program Goals: • Grow & enrich the naturalist community & experience • Contribute to research & inform conservation decisions Research & Naturalist Conservation Community Community Achievement Expertise Knowledge Data Products Impact Legitimacy Project Types Taxonomic Projects Place‐based Projects tpwd.texas.gov/trackers Nature Trackers Targets Nature Trackers Targets Targets by ecoregion SGCNs by county Texas Conservation Action Plan • Every state has a plan to address their Species of Greatest Conservation Need • More than 15,000 SGCN nation‐wide • 1,310 SGCN in Texas • Texas Conservation Action Plan provides a roadmap to recover our species of concern Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) Common SGCN Population stability Threatened Endangered Time Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) Not enough data = ? SGCN SGCN Population stability Threatened Endangered Time Who are our SGCNs? 1,310 birds, mammals, herps, fishes, invertebrates, & plants Texas Natural Diversity Database Species of Greatest Conservation Need Reptiles and Amphibians 73 Mammals 92 Birds 111 Fish 134 Invertebrates 449 Plants 449 Total 1308 Crawfish Frog Observed by Scott Wahlberg • Blue = Herps of Texas (51 obs) • Brown = TXNDD (61 EOs) Rio Grande Chirping Frog Expansion Getting Started with iNaturalist http://www.storybench.org/wp‐content/uploads/2015/12/iNaturalist.jpg History of iNaturalist http://courses.ischool.berkeley.edu/i213/s07/projects/natura list/trac.inaturalist.org/wiki/UIAssignment3.html Texas Nature Trackers & iNaturalist In 2013, TNT partnered with iNaturalist & began using it to host projects How iNaturalist Works Citizen Science Data With each observation, you create a digital voucher for presence of an organism Restrictions of iNaturalist as database • iNaturalist measure species richness • Does not measure population numbers/health • Does not measure absence • Annotations on observations can be used… • App is JUST a data collection tool Current state of iNaturalist Sept 2018 www.inaturalist.org/stats ~10% of all observations logged in Texas iNaturalist in Texas Sept 2018 Current state of iNaturalist Sept 2018 www.inaturalist.org/stats Current state of iNaturalist Sept 2018 www.inaturalist.org/stats Current state of iNaturalist Sept 2018 www.inaturalist.org/stats Total Research Grade Research‐Grade Data Getting Started: Create Account iNaturalist’s official policy is that users must be 13 years or older per the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act Derek Bridges, Flickr Creative Commons iNaturalist Profile Options Individual Yes student profiles Is the user Profile group over 13 years old? Classroom No shares profile Profile & User Settings http://www.storybench.org/wp‐content/uploads/2015/12/iNaturalist.jpg iNaturalist Website Tour People, Guides, Projects, Species, & Places http://www.storybench.org/wp‐content/uploads/2015/12/iNaturalist.jpg iNaturalist Help Guide • At the bottom of the iNaturalist pages, click on Help –Tutorials and “how‐to”articles –Teacher’s Guide –BioBlitz Buide –Community Guidelines Adding Observations Batch add observations (website) http://www.storybench.org/wp‐content/uploads/2015/12/iNaturalist.jpg Drag to change accuracy circle If manually entering lat/long from GPS, please indicate the datum in Description Be as accurate as possible – do not use accuracy to obscure an observation. Use the Geoprivacy setting instead. Audio Files Upload audio files directly as sound file via website (NEW) • Test your sound recorder and upload process! • NOTE: Direct upload via phone apps NOT currently available • Use SoundCloud with caution! Sound Vouchered Observations Phone Apps Examples for Apple & Android apps http://www.storybench.org/wp‐content/uploads/2015/12/iNaturalist.jpg iNaturalist Phone Apps Available for iPhone and Android Require a login and password Editing Observations Editing observations & accuracy Adding observations to projects http://www.storybench.org/wp‐content/uploads/2015/12/iNaturalist.jpg iNaturalist GeoPrivacy Options Everyone can see the coordinates unless the taxon is classified “at Open risk” Public coordinates shown as a random point within a roughly 10 km2 square area of uncertainty. True coordinates are only visible to Obscured you and the curators of projects to which you add the observation. Coordinates completely hidden from public maps, true coordinates only visible to you and the curators of projects to which you add Private the observation. Obscured (circle) Public view Actual (pin) Curator view Others obscured Actual (pin) Own view of own observ Challenge: What if this was a chickadee – Black‐capped or Carolina? Geography matters! Private = no location information visible to others Adding observations to Projects You must make your private/obscured coordinates visible to project curators to join Texas Nature Trackers projects! & & & Observations & iNaturalist Community Example data voucher Community ID process http://www.storybench.org/wp‐content/uploads/2015/12/iNaturalist.jpg Example Data Voucher Collaborative Naturalist Community Initial ID to the species level Polistes carolina Maybe not! A content expert weighs in… and adds annotations I’ve learned more about how to ID paper wasps, and so I revise my ID up to the genus level Identifying Observations Contributing to community observations http://www.storybench.org/wp‐content/uploads/2015/12/iNaturalist.jpg Creating a Project Long‐term Project BioBlitz Admins, Managers, and Curators http://www.storybench.org/wp‐content/uploads/2015/12/iNaturalist.jpg Pros: • Great data visualization • Project automatically gathers observations for the designated time/place – no need to join Cons: • Can’t see obscured/private coordinates Can create class list – only these users can contribute, so leave blank for general participation Pros: • Great data visualization • Project automatically gathers observations for the designated time/place – no need to join • Summarizes multiple projects Cons: • Can’t see obscured/private coordinates Creating New Place http://www.storybench.org/wp‐content/uploads/2015/12/iNaturalist.jpg How to Get Involved Citizen Science & Beyond Alison Young Contribute to TNT on iNaturalist •Share your iNaturalist observations with Texas Nature Trackers projects and events •Be creative! –Nature hikes –Habitat work days –Events –Adopt a site/park –Host a bioblitz –Ask your own questions Dundee Ranger Service, Flickr Creative Commons Management and Policy Documenting biodiversity in public lands Save the Date! Observe: 9 Apr 26‐29, 2019 Identify: Apr 30‐May 5, 2019 43 Participating Counties Amarillo Austin DFW El Paso Armstrong Bastrop Collin El Paso Carson Blanco Dallas Potter Burnet Denton Randall Caldwell Ellis Hays Johnson Travis Kaufman Williamson Parker Rockwall Tarrant Wise Houston LRGV* San Antonio Austin Cameron Atascosa Brazoria Hidalgo Bandera Chambers Starr Bexar Fort Bend Willacy Comal Galveston Guadalupe Harris Kendall Liberty Medina Montgomery Wilson Waller 2019: Corpus Christi Counties TBD Texas Rankings in Global City Nature Challenge as of May 3, 2018 Metro Observations Species Observers Amarillo 51 54 56 Austin 10711 DFW 2 5 6 El Paso 59 60 60 Houston 6 2 8 LRGV 15 10 27 San Antonio 30 23 29 CNC 2018: % of Species that were New Records 34% 23% 19% 20% 15% 11% 10% Other iNaturalist Sessions Session Presenter Day Time Room iCan with iNaturalist Alyssa Joaquin, Saturday 8am‐12pm San Gabriel K Lost Pines TMN Mothing til Midnight Sam Kieschnick, Saturday 8:30pm‐12am Meet at Pool TPWD Patio How iNaturalist Sam Kieschnick, Sunday 10am‐12pm San Gabriel K Guides Policy TPWD Log what you find during field trips! Texas Nature Trackers Biologists Workshop/BioBlitz host Questions? Alan Vernon, Flickr Creative Commons Tania Homayoun Texas Nature Trackers Biologist [email protected] taniahomayoun on.