One of our Hotel Lake neighbours, Jenn Blancard, has logged several hundred observations on iNaturalist.ca. So we asked her if she would give us an insider view of how easy it can be to collect and submit meaningful data for the future; here are Jenn's words, written just for you:

 

Jenn Blancard:  "iNaturalist is an incredible tool in aiding the identification of organisms as well as contributing to a global database. While rambling along the coastlines or in the forests surrounding the Sunshine Coast, I always spot something new and intriguing. I love being able to take out my phone and to snap a picture of whatever has caught my eye. I then open the iNaturalist ap and upload the photo to iNaturalist and select suggestions.

 

Sometimes, it is easy to identify what an organism is and sometimes, I can only guess the wider classification of the organism such as plant or insect etc. I then put my phone away and forget about it for the remainder of my outing.  But, the identification doesn't stop there. In the background there are like minded people, naturalists, researchers, and taxonomists who are waiting to confirm your observations. If you have 2 people confirm your species, then it is entered into a global database where anyone can access the information.

 

This is incredibly powerful for researchers as we cannot be in all areas at all times. Also, people may upload an observation without realizing how incredibly unique that organism is. For example,  I came across a ladybug in Francis Point Park. I thought it was cute and added it to iNaturalist to see what species it was. I guessed wrong, but a researcher from the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change contacted me about the details of my finding. It turns out it was a species at risk and he was working on recovery plans and habitat protections.

 

A few tips that make using iNaturalist easier.

1.  Sign-up on the app; it's free and easy to use.

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Editorial note: When you go to download the app there are three choices.  We checked with Liam Ragan, BC KBA manager and he suggests that new sign-ups might be more comfortable using the “iNat Classic" app.   You can decide later if you want to try the next generation ap.

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2.  When out and about, take a photo of something that interests you. You can wait until you get home and connected to the internet to upload observations which saves on data.

 

3.  Turn-on your phone “location” settings; if location settings are not turned on, you will have to manually input the photo’s location on a map.  The location is extremely important for identification purposes.

 

4.  Do not be scared to input the easiest identifiable feature. If you know it is a plant but have no idea what kind, choose “plant”. It will narrow down the observation for people who specialize in those areas so that they can find it better.

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5. Don't be afraid to guess wrong. I have had many discussions with people on the app about why they identified it in a certain way. The iNaturalist community is extremely helpful and friendly. Have fun. It is an incredible world out there and when you start looking, there are so many new things to find!….and share!" Jenn.

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Thanks Jenn!!  And below is a great little video.