{"id":7789,"date":"2020-06-15T19:08:38","date_gmt":"2020-06-15T19:08:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/?p=7789"},"modified":"2020-06-17T15:11:11","modified_gmt":"2020-06-17T15:11:11","slug":"five-questions-about-inaturalist-canada-and-cwfs-new-observation-nation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/en\/five-questions-about-inaturalist-canada-and-cwfs-new-observation-nation\/","title":{"rendered":"Five Questions About iNaturalist Canada and CWF\u2019s New Observation Nation"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Want to help build a living record of biodiversity across Canada?<\/h2>\n<p>Join CWF\u2019s new Observation Nation and help us track 50,000 species observations by July 1, 2020.<\/p>\n<p>From the tallest tree to the tiniest insect, together we\u2019ll celebrate Canada\u2019s birthday and our nation\u2019s biodiversity.<\/p>\n<p>To learn more about this exciting initiative, here are five questions with James\u00a0Pag\u00e9, CWF Species at Risk and Biodiversity Specialist.<\/p>\n<h3>1. What is iNaturalist Canada?<\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4967\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4967\" style=\"width: 1100px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-standard wp-image-4967\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/protect-wetlands-blanding-turtle-inaturalist-phone-mobile-1100x640.jpg\" alt=\"upload observations to inaturalist.ca\" width=\"1100\" height=\"640\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4967\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Upload observations to inaturalist.ca<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/inaturalist.ca\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">iNaturalist<\/a> is one of the world\u2019s most popular nature apps. Its image recognition software, online and in the app, helps members instantly identify plants and animals observed anywhere \u2013 from backyards and neighbourhoods to remote forests and fields. A global community of over one million scientists and naturalists help identify observations and teach people more about nature.<\/p>\n<p>Members can post photos or sound recordings of any wild plants or animals. By recording and sharing your observations, you\u2019ll create research-quality data that scientists use to better understand and protect nature.<\/p>\n<p>iNaturalist\u00a0Canada\u00a0is a\u00a0Canada-specific\u00a0bilingual\u00a0version\u00a0focusing on\u00a0Canadian species\u00a0observations, but it still ties into the global\u00a0iNaturalist\u00a0database.\u00a0By joining\u00a0iNaturalist\u00a0Canada,\u00a0Canadians\u00a0of all ages\u00a0can\u00a0connect with local species,\u00a0places\u00a0and projects.<\/p>\n<p>iNaturalist.ca is led by\u00a0the Canadian Wildlife Federation\u00a0along with our partners at Parks Canada,\u00a0NatureServe\u00a0Canada\u00a0and the Royal Ontario Museum.\u00a0Launched in\u00a02015, it has grown to include\u00a0mapped locations of\u00a0more than 2.5\u00a0million\u00a0observations,\u00a023\u00a0thousand species and\u00a0over\u00a060 thousand\u00a0contributors.<\/p>\n<h3>2. How Do You Sign Up and Start Adding Your Observations?<\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7790\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7790\" style=\"width: 1100px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-7790 size-standard\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Isabelle-Marozzo-baby-bird-1100x640.jpg\" alt=\"Isabelle Marozzo\" width=\"1100\" height=\"640\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7790\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u00a9 Isabelle Marozzo | CWF Photo Club<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The\u00a0iNaturalist\u00a0app and website are easy to use\u00a0no matter where\u00a0you\u2019re\u00a0observing nature.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li><strong>To begin<\/strong>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/inaturalist.ca\/signup\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">create a free account at iNaturalist.ca<\/a>\u00a0to get\u00a0a personal page where you can track\u00a0all your observations.\u00a0If you\u00a0already\u00a0have an account,\u00a0<strong>check\u00a0your \u201cAccount Settings\u201d to\u00a0make sure you\u00a0are\u00a0set to iNaturalist.ca<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Next<\/strong>, <a href=\"https:\/\/inaturalist.ca\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">download\u00a0the free\u00a0iNaturalist\u00a0app<\/a>\u00a0from the\u00a0Apple App\u00a0Store\u00a0(iPhone)\u00a0or Google Play\u00a0(Android).\u00a0Or just use a digital camera and\u00a0upload photos to\u00a0the iNaturalist.ca website.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>That&#8217;s it! Now you\u2019re set to contribute! If you\u2019re not out and about, you can still contribute by becoming an \u201cIdentifier\u201d and help ID other people\u2019s observations. Whether you know one species well or have expert knowledge of hundreds, you can browse the map or a list of observations and offer your ID suggestions.<\/p>\n<h3>3. What Types of Species Can You Observe?<\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7791\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7791\" style=\"width: 1100px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-7791 size-standard\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/jim-ellis-monarch-aster-1100x640.jpg\" alt=\"Jim Ellis\" width=\"1100\" height=\"640\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7791\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u00a9 Jim Ellis | CWF Photo Club<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>You can use iNaturalist Canada for anything alive under the sun! Mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, plants (including trees), mushrooms and fish are all fair game.<\/p>\n<p>And don\u2019t forget butterflies, moths, dragonflies and other insects. There are even observations of molluscs, lichens and protozoa. Just remember that photos must be in focus and capture identifying features like the shape of leaves or colour patterns. And remember that you can also post sound recordings of birds, frogs and even insects like crickets and cicadas.<\/p>\n<h3>4. What is CWF Observation Nation?<\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7792\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7792\" style=\"width: 1100px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-7792 size-standard\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Satvinder-Singh-damselfly-1100x640.jpg\" alt=\"Satvinder Singh\" width=\"1100\" height=\"640\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7792\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u00a9 Satvinder Singh | CWF Photo Club<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In April 2020, CWF launched its Observations from Isolation project on iNaturalist.ca to encourage Canadians to contribute observations while enjoying nearby nature and maintaining social distance. The project generated more than 20,000 submissions during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. We celebrated Canadian Environment Week from June 1 to 7, 2020 by transitioning the project to its new name: <a href=\"https:\/\/inaturalist.ca\/projects\/observation-nation-bioobservateurs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">CWF Observation Nation<\/a>. We also launched a challenge to reach 50,000 new observations by Canada Day.<\/p>\n<p>The long-term goal\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0CWF Observation Nation\u00a0project\u00a0is\u00a0to boost species reporting and inspire conservation.\u00a0When you join the project,\u00a0you\u2019ll\u00a0receive\u00a0insightful\u00a0ideas for\u00a0connecting\u00a0with nature\u00a0in\u00a0the project\u2019s news feed, have the opportunity to enter contests or receive special gifts.\u00a0To\u00a0join,\u00a0simply\u00a0go\u00a0to the\u00a0CWF Observation Nation\u00a0project page and click \u201cjoin\u201d\u00a0at\u00a0the top right. Your observations will be automatically added\u00a0to the project.<\/p>\n<h3>5. How Does This Help Species Conservation in Canada?<\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7793\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7793\" style=\"width: 1100px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-7793 size-standard\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/France-Smith-bee-yellow-flowers-1100x640.jpg\" alt=\"France Smith\" width=\"1100\" height=\"640\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7793\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u00a9 France Smith<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<blockquote><p>Scientists\u00a0can\u2019t\u00a0be everywhere.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The iNaturalist.ca database\u00a0maps\u00a0over 2.5 million\u00a0observations\u00a0and counting,\u00a0with photos\u00a0or sound\u00a0recordings\u00a0to verify the species. This is\u00a0Canada\u2019s\u00a0largest dataset covering\u00a0different species, and it\u00a0never\u00a0could\u00a0have\u00a0been\u00a0created by researchers alone.\u00a0Without iNaturalist.ca,\u00a0thousands of\u00a0sightings of species at risk would never have been documented or shared.<\/p>\n<p>The\u00a0database is publicly accessible,\u00a0so anyone\u00a0can learn\u00a0what\u2019s\u00a0living in their forests, communities and backyards.\u00a0iNaturalist\u00a0Canada also teaches people what they are photographing through auto-identification.\u00a0When you know\u00a0what\u00a0species\u00a0live\u00a0around\u00a0you, it\u00a0can make\u00a0you\u00a0more apt to want to conserve them.<\/p>\n<p>Species researchers\u00a0contribute to the data and\u00a0make use of it in many ways:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li>Over 600 publications are using the global iNaturalist data<\/li>\n<li>The\u00a0Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada incorporates\u00a0the\u00a0database when assessing whether a species is at\u00a0risk of extinction<\/li>\n<li>Locations of species at risk are used to\u00a0help map critical habitat for endangered and threatened species<\/li>\n<li>Species never before seen in Canada have been found because of iNaturalist.ca<\/li>\n<li>Rare species occurrences are shared with NatureServe Canada, which oversees the database of rare and at-risk species used to plan for their conservation<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>Every observation is important.\u00a0We\u00a0can\u2019t\u00a0conserve what we don\u2019t know is there.\u00a0Help us by joining CWF Observation Nation today!<\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"post-excerpt\">Want to help build a living record of biodiversity across Canada? Join CWF\u2019s new Observation Nation and help us track 50,000 species observations by July 1, 2020. From the tallest&hellip;<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":40,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[631,642,6,638,637],"tags":[598],"class_list":["post-7789","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-connect-with-nature","category-education","category-endangered-species","category-fields-forests","category-lakes-rivers","tag-inaturalist"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7789","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/40"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7789"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7789\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7798,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7789\/revisions\/7798"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7789"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7789"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7789"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}