What is iNaturalist?
iNaturalist is an online and mobile app hosted by National Geographic and the California Academy of Sciences to allow users to submit observations of and identify organisms.
iNaturalist is a community of citizen scientists, professional scientists, researchers, amateur naturalists, and curious explorers! Through iNaturalist, you can share your findings with the scientific community, identify critters you are curious about, and contribute to a global biodiversity database.
From iNaturalist:
“Every observation can contribute to biodiversity science, from the rarest butterfly to the most common backyard weed. We share our findings with scientific data repositories like the Global Biodiversity Information Facility to help scientists find and use your data. All you have to do is observe.”
What will AWW be sharing on the app?
AWW shares the critters and plants that our staff, volunteers, students, and educators find during stream biomonitoring, observe during sampling, or find when they are exploring Alabama’s waterbodies.
How can I follow AWW?
In the search bar on the top left corner of the iNaturalist website, type Alabama Water Watch and click the blue “Follow” button on our profile.
How can I make my own observations?
You can create a free iNaturalist account at www.inaturalist.org or on the mobile app available in the Apple and Google Play app stores.
If you don’t want to get the app, you can send pictures to awwprog@auburn.edu and we will post them for you. Make sure to send the following information with the photos of your organism:
- Time & Location
- Was the organism dead or alive?
- Is it cultivated?
Example of an observation:
American Beautyberry, an example of an observation made by an AWW staffer while at Chewacla State Park in Auburn, AL.
After you post an observation, other iNaturalist users can confirm or suggest an ID for your organism.
Have questions? Contact us at awwprog@auburn.edu.