iNaturalist Project Pages

The ways community science becomes local and social

Lizards over bats? This photo I took of a green anole went into the Blue Heron Nature Preserve project page.

I’ve been using iNaturalist for almost six months now, and it has become my favorite way to learn about the natural world and create research quality data for scientists working to better understand and protect nature. In March I discovered iNaturalist project pages, and I became even more hooked. Project pages let you pool your observations in a specific geographical area with other people. Whether you’re keeping tabs on the birds along a local river, or documenting the biodiversity in your own neighborhood, project pages add an extra layer of connection and education.

My favorite project page right now is connected to the Blue Heron Nature Preserve. The 30-acre preserve, only about three miles from where I live, has woodlands, wetlands, riparian areas and meadows. I go there to stroll the 3-mile blueway trail, which follows the contours of Nancy Creek that flows down the middle of the park. Blueway trails, in case like me you didn’t know, are public recreational trails linked to a waterway.  

When I found out there was an iNaturalist project page devoted to the Blue Heron preserve, I joined it right away. Called the Blue Heron Nature Preserve Wildlife Inventory, the page now has 204 animal observations. I’ve added 20 of them, including a picture of the park’s namesake blue heron, as well as a handful of green anoles, swallowtails, a pond slider, and last week, a red-winged blackbird. A big benefit to the project page is now I can see others’ observations, and be on the lookout myself for what’s been recently spotted.

The Blue Heron Nature Preserve is my “in-between” space

I walked down at the Blue Heron Preserve at least once a week during the pandemic, but I didn’t know about iNaturalist then. I just went for the peace, the steps, and to get out of the house. The park is in a busy, densely-populated part of Atlanta, but I always thought of it as a linear space that cuts a line, like a quiet green pathway through the city. Nearby traffic noise is muted, nearly nonexistent in some areas. This week when I read “Let the Post-Pandemic City Grow Wild,” I learned about a large linear park in Dallas, Tx, but the story reminded me of “my” Blue Heron park. 

“Every city has acres of in-between land that, if managed well, could become an oases of greenery harboring insect, bird and other animal life.” Excerpt from “Let the Post-Pandemic City Grow Wild”

Slices of green in our cities? I like the idea. Now that I can contribute to community science while out seeing the sights at my favorite park, I like it even better.

Nature that’s likable

iNaturalist is not social media, but it does have a social aspect to it because of how crowd-sourcing is built into its features. In the app, you can “like” observations, for example. The 2015 picture below, from an Argentine community scientist, is the “most liked” image at iNaturalist. When I put that picture in front of my husband, he said he thought it was a piece of leather or maybe a crusty old soccer ball. When I said “it’s a nervous armadillo rolled into a circle,” Fred just shook his head and smiled.

“It is too much,” he said, and I thought: Somebody show that man the LIKE button.

When threatened, a southern three-banded armadillo can roll completely into a ball, shielding its soft belly. Small gaps between the curled-up armadillo’s scutes can pinch the skin or fingers of predators that try to pry open this potential meal.

Speaking of liking, one great thing to admire about iNaturalist data is that scientists are using it regularly, and they’re openly sharing their research papers. Scan the published papers and you’ll see projects originating from Brazil, the Canary Islands, Honduras, Bulgaria, Argentina, the U.S. and more. When I’m out photographing a challenging subject (individual grasses come to mind), it is good to know that any research grade observations I submit to iNaturalist have a solid chance of being used.

Upcoming:

• Firefly Watch. Expect these little sparks of light in the night soon around Georgia and get ready to help out as a community scientist. Fireflies are neither flies nor bugs, they are actually beetles with rear-ends that light up because of a chemical reaction.

• Lichen CitiSci. Lichens are so cool. I can’t wait to learn more about this community science effort.