Become a Citizen Scientist
"As an organization committed to conservation, we want to educate and inspire people of all ages that we all play a role in healthy ecosystems. And this starts right in our own backyard."
-Dr. Eric Baitchman, Vice President of Animal Health and Conservation
Are you curious about the plants and animals that live around you? Even in densely urbanized Boston, there's wildlife all around us, and you can help document this biodiversity. iNaturalist is a community science platform that allows people to record observations of plants, animals and fungi, and learn about the organisms they encounter. The app can identify species, and experts will confirm your findings.
Getting Started
- Download the free iNaturalist App for Android or iOS and create an account.
- Take photos of plants, animals, or funghi that you see, and share your observations. Need help? Check out this quick video demonstrating how easy it is to make an observation with the iNaturalist mobile app.
- Use the “What did you see?” feature to help identify what you saw. The iNaturalist app is surprisingly good at identifying species through photos and this is a great way to learn about the wildlife around you. Even if you aren’t sure, other users will see your observations and help suggest identifications.
- Keep logging observations! Researchers depend on citizen scientists like you to document species, study climate change and more. Sometimes lost species are even rediscovered through community observations!
