Ever taken a walk and wondered what that majestic flower or colorful bird perched on that unknown tree may be? Well, there is a platform that helps identify organisms, allowing people to better understand nature and the world we live in. It’s called iNaturalist, and from April 28 to May 1, in honor of Earth Month, the City of Boca Raton is hosting a City Nature Challenge. The goal: to walk around Boca Raton’s natural landscapes and use iNaturalist to document and learn about the flora and fauna in the area.
Tony Iwane, iNaturalist Outreach and Community Coordinator, knows the value iNaturalist provides to science buffs everywhere. The platform, which can be accessed on the website, inaturalist.org, (where most of the functionality is found) and the mobile app, serves as a reminder that “non-human life is intrinsically valuable, amazing, interesting and worth understanding and saving,” Iwane explains.
It is, as a whole, a social network where users share pictures of organisms with other members for identification and discussion purposes. However, what makes iNaturalist stand out from other nature apps and programs is how the conversations sparked from observations are turned into easily accessible data.
“I think anyone who’s curious about the plants, animals and fungi around them should give iNaturalist a try, especially if they want to make their observations available for science and conservation,” says Iwane, 43. “We hear from a lot of people who say iNaturalist has really helped them notice the flora and fauna around them – it opened their eyes (and ears) to the abundance and diversity of nature, even at home or in an urban setting.”
What’s more, Iwane says that the iNaturalist community provides extensive real-time data on species richness and abundance. “Since 2020, most records of most species in the Global Diversity Information Facility (GBIF) have come from iNaturalist.” That data from GBIF has been cited in about 3,400 publications to date.
To allow scientists around the world to identify a certain plant or animal, users are asked to upload visual or audio evidence. This helps arrive at the most accurate identification based on evidence, not presumption or reputation. “As someone with a hard science background, iNaturalist has helped me tremendously when it comes to evaluating research and understanding which conclusions are soundly based on evidence,” Iwane says.
Besides generating scientifically usable data, iNaturalist also helps people engage with nature. “I think for many of us, ‘nature’ is a sort of amorphous thing. What iNaturalist does is help you focus on each member in the web of life here on Earth, learning what it is and how it relates to other organisms,” says Iwane. “I think that curiosity and that knowledge is a celebration in and of itself.”
For Iwane, an experienced interpretive naturalist, photographer and member of the iNaturalist community since 2015, Earth Day has always been meaningful. “It encourages us to acknowledge this amazing planet we all share, both with other humans and with every other living thing, and that we’re all connected and dependent on each other.”
To raise awareness and celebrate Mother Nature during Earth Month – but every other day, too – Iwane recommends getting out, even if just for a walk. “Take a moment to look at flowers, or maybe that insect scuttling away from you or that lichen growing on a tree,” he says. “As a child, I was always mesmerized by the endless beauty and diversity around me, and it’s good to tap into that.”
For those looking for a more action-oriented contribution to the planet, he recommends participating in a beach or park cleanup or going around your neighborhood and picking up litter. “It really brings our effect on the environment in a pretty direct and personal way.”
Photo by Abhas Misraraj
Tony Iwane
For more information on how to help our planet Earth, visit earthday.org.
For more information on City Nature Challenge, visit myboca.us.