Have you ever gone for a walk or hike in the outdoors, saw a species that interested you, but you couldn’t identify what it was? iNaturalist is a free app which allows you to do just that. This app is for anyone who loves nature and wants to get involved and learn more about wildlife. It is an easy-to-use technology that allows you to observe species of trees, plants, animals, insects, and even fungi. You don't need to be an expert to use the app; anyone can become a citizen scientist. Using any mobile phone or tablet, download the iNaturalist app. Once you’ve created an account you can add projects such as “Voyageur Provincial Park” to be connected to others who have made observations in the same area. Using the built-in camera on your device, take a picture of any species that is of interest to you. Not only can you use the mobile app when you're out in nature, but you can also use the website www.inaturalist.org to add observations in the same way as the app if you upload pictures onto your computer from a digital camera instead. In addition, if you do not have internet when making an entry the iNaturalist app will save your observation and you can continue the process when you do connect to the internet later on. The iNaturalist app uses an algorithm to examine details of the picture and will come up with a list of possible species. You can then look at details of each suggestion and make an educated choice from that list of what species looks the most similar to your
entry. Once uploaded, your observation is available to be confirmed by experts and become “research grade”, adding data to scientific databases. Using iNaturalist is a great way to get involved with protecting the environment at any age and identification level. Even if you already know what a species is it can still be essential to add it into the iNaturalist database. iNaturalist can pinpoint exact locations where you took the picture, and identification of a rare species or a species at risk can lead to efforts to protect that species. In addition to protecting species, the precise location of an invasive species can also be helpful for EDRR (Early Detection and Rapid Response) efforts by potentially learning about a new infestation before it becomes established. This is important when planning control efforts to increase chances of eradicating it, which in turn protects native species and the ecological integrity of natural spaces. This is because most invasive species tend to grow in what is called a “monoculture”, which is a high concentration of a single species in one area due to lack of natural predation. Ecological Integrity is so important for biodiversity, the opposite of monoculture, meaning there is a high number of different species in one area, essential for the survival and health of any ecosystem. Adding observations to iNaturalist helps monitor the biodiversity of the park. It allows researchers to determine how many different species are present in a specific area and monitor population growth or decline. Once you get started you will be identifying species in no time!
QUICK GUIDE TO GETTING STARTED: •
Use the search tool to identify possible species
Join “Voyageur Provincial Park” project
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Take a new picture of any species or upload one from your own photos
Post it to the database to have it confirmed as "research-grade"
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You have contributed to the biodiversity of Voyageur Provincial Park!
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Download the app from the app store
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Make an account
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Ontario Parks | Voyageur
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