A landmark moment for iNaturalist.ca and Canadian biodiversity

This August, iNaturalist Canada (iNaturalist.ca) has officially surpassed a monumental milestone: 20 million wildlife observations from across the country! That’s 20 million glimpses into Canada’s incredible biodiversity, captured and shared by a growing community of nature lovers, scientists, educators and everyday explorers.

Launched in 2015 as a collaborative platform for nature enthusiasts and researchers alike, iNaturalist.ca has become a cornerstone of community science in Canada. From bustling city parks to remote wilderness, Canadians have documented everything from backyard beetles to elusive mammals, helping to build a living, evolving record of our natural world.

The growth of iNaturalist.ca is not just about numbers, it’s about people. These 20 million observations come from more than 264,000 contributors nationwide, reflecting a diverse and dedicated community passionate about learning and protecting our wildlife.

Initiating Progress

Looking for turtles in the wetlandOver the years, several successful initiatives have helped fuel this growth and engagement. The annual global City Nature Challenge has inspired friendly biodiversity competition among Canadian cities, while the Great Canadian Bioblitz has brought thousands of people together each fall to document as many species as possible across the country through independent observers to coordinated bioblitz events. Additionally, Observation Nation, a CWF-led Canada-wide iNaturalist initiative has been empowering communities, from classrooms to conservationists, to explore, record, and celebrate local biodiversity.

Each observation contributes to a global understanding of species distribution, phenology (the timing of life cycle events), and even climate change impacts. Scientists, conservationists and policymakers use this data to make informed decisions, and it all starts with someone snapping a photo and hitting “submit”. This is exemplified by a recent paper showing that between 2015 and 2022 there have been more than 10,000 scientific publications that have used iNaturalist data globally. That’s nearly four publications using the iNaturalist tool per day.

Milestone Moments in the Wild

The Painted Turtle is the most reported turtle on iNaturalist Canada, being found in every province from British Columbia to Nova Scotia. Photo credit: Mike Leveille (iNaturalist user Swampy), CC-BY-NC.

Among the 20 million observations, some truly stand out. From rare species to unexpected encounters, here are just a couple of the many fascinating records that have been shared on iNaturalist.ca:

  • This rare find of the imperiled Black Witch’s Beard Lichen is the only observation in the world on iNaturalist. The observation, from northern Nunavut, where there are insufficient data to give it a Territorial conservation rank, highlights the critical role your observations play in being able to conserve Canadian species.
  • This peek at the Endangered King Rail, a secretive marsh bird with only 25 observations in iNaturalist, is a great example of how difficult and important it is to make observations of elusive species.
  • This incredible trophic interaction between an intertidal (High Cockscomb) and terrestrial (Western Terrestrial Garter Snake) species highlights the complex relationships that can be captured on iNaturalist.
  • Snapping a quick photo of something you don’t recognize can also help to identify, track and slow the spread of invasive species such as Spotted Lanternfly.
  • Another advantage of the collaborative nature of iNaturalist is being able to notice evolution in action, such as this observation of a Red-spotted Admiral x Viceroy hybrid.

What’s next?

As we celebrate this 20-million-observation milestone, we’re reminded of the power of community science and the importance of staying connected to the natural world. Whether you’re an experienced naturalist or a curious beginner, your observations matter.

If you haven’t yet joined the iNaturalist.ca community, now is a great time to start, especially as we lead up to the Great Canadian Bioblitz that takes place September 21 to 28, 2025p>. Every photo you take, every species you record, adds to a collective effort to understand, appreciate, and conserve Canada’s wildlife.

Thank you!

To everyone who has contributed so far: thank you. You’ve helped build one of the most valuable wildlife databases in the country. Let’s keep going and see how long it takes us to reach 30 million!

Learn more about the Canadian Wildlife Federation’s work with iNaturalist >

Authors: Samuelle Simard-Provencal and Katrina Gaibisels