iNaturalist.ca offers a fantastic way for us to explore our local areas safely and help conservation at the same time. It is a free platform that empowers citizen scientists (observations submitted by the public) to collect wildlife data that can be used to track biodiversity across the country.<\/p>\n
Using your phone or digital camera, you can photograph wildlife (including plants!) in your neighborhood, parks and conservation areas. Can’t capture the image? iNaturalist also now has a sound recording feature for birds, frogs, insects and other animals! Simply open the app on your phone and select \u2018add a new observation\u2019 to use the photo and sound recording features. It\u2019s as easy as that!<\/p>\n
How to Find Insects<\/h3>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/striped-sweat-bee-1100x640.jpg\")
A striped Sweat Bee on our Black-eyed Susans.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nInsects are probably some of the easiest organisms to find in and around your house since they\u2019re abundant and incredibly diverse! But where should you look to find them? What can you use to catch them? These sites provide some guidance on how to find and temporarily hold insects \u2014 so you can photograph them and post them on iNaturalist!<\/p>\n
Helpful resources:<\/h4>\n\n- BugCollectors: Where to Find Insects<\/a><\/li>\n
- WikiHow: How to Catch Small Bugs:<\/a> we recommend trying the ones that don\u2019t kill the insects, so you can release them once you\u2019ve taken some photos!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
iNaturalist in Your Garden<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Betty-Lou-Archibald-birds-bird-dish-water-garden-1100x640.jpg\")
Can one person make a difference for wildlife? Absolutely. A great place to start is in the garden. By garden, we mean any outdoor space that is influenced by a green (or not so green!) thumb. Everything from a vegetable patch to water gardens, acres of land to containers on a patio, a meadow maintained for butterflies to a curated perennial bed, shoreline properties to urban plots \u2013 all outdoor spaces can help wildlife. No matter your location, level of experience, garden style or budget, your garden can be beautiful and beneficial for wildlife. We have a new Gardening for Wildlife<\/a> iNaturalist.ca project where you can share the wildlife that visits your garden.<\/p>\nHelpful resources:<\/h4>\n\n- Canadian Wildlife Federation: How to Garden with Wildlife in Mind<\/a><\/li>\n
- Canadian Wildlife Federation: Gardening Pathway<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Photograph Arthropods in Your Home<\/h3>\n
Did you know there are 93 different species of arthropods (insects, spiders, and their relatives) living in our homes on average? Don\u2019t worry \u2014 most of them aren\u2019t pests and are totally harmless! How many can you find in your house? Document them using iNaturalist.ca, and if you want, add them to the Never Home Alone<\/a> project!<\/p>\nHelpful resources:<\/h4>\n\n- The Public Science Lab: Learn more about your arthropods<\/a>!<\/li>\n
- Vox: The dozens of bug species that live in your home, in one chart<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
New to iNaturalist?<\/h3>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/iNat-Observation-Carol-Howard-Donati.jpg\")
A Blue Jay photographed in Ottawa during the City Nature Challenge 2021 on iNaturalist. \u00a9 Carol Howard Donati (CC-BY-NC-ND)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nUsing iNaturalist.ca is a great way to improve health and well-being through immersion in nature, it is free family-friendly activity that also really helps conservationists protect wildlife. Check out our resources page<\/a> to get the most out of it. Why not get outside today!<\/p>\nSome sections\u00a0adapted from the Exploring Nature In and Around Your Home for the 2021 City Nature Challenge<\/em> guide found here<\/a>.<\/p>\nLearn more about iNaturalist.ca<\/a><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As summer arrives, many of us are itching to get outside and enjoy the warmer weather after months indoors. Studies suggest that time spent in or around nature is beneficial…<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":120,"featured_media":9648,"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],"tags":[598],"class_list":["post-9644","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-connect-with-nature","tag-inaturalist"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9644","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\/120"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9644"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9644\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9668,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9644\/revisions\/9668"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9648"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9644"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9644"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9644"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Insects are probably some of the easiest organisms to find in and around your house since they\u2019re abundant and incredibly diverse! But where should you look to find them? What can you use to catch them? These sites provide some guidance on how to find and temporarily hold insects \u2014 so you can photograph them and post them on iNaturalist!<\/p>\n
Helpful resources:<\/h4>\n\n- BugCollectors: Where to Find Insects<\/a><\/li>\n
- WikiHow: How to Catch Small Bugs:<\/a> we recommend trying the ones that don\u2019t kill the insects, so you can release them once you\u2019ve taken some photos!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
iNaturalist in Your Garden<\/h3>\n
Can one person make a difference for wildlife? Absolutely. A great place to start is in the garden. By garden, we mean any outdoor space that is influenced by a green (or not so green!) thumb. Everything from a vegetable patch to water gardens, acres of land to containers on a patio, a meadow maintained for butterflies to a curated perennial bed, shoreline properties to urban plots \u2013 all outdoor spaces can help wildlife. No matter your location, level of experience, garden style or budget, your garden can be beautiful and beneficial for wildlife. We have a new Gardening for Wildlife<\/a> iNaturalist.ca project where you can share the wildlife that visits your garden.<\/p>\nHelpful resources:<\/h4>\n\n- Canadian Wildlife Federation: How to Garden with Wildlife in Mind<\/a><\/li>\n
- Canadian Wildlife Federation: Gardening Pathway<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Photograph Arthropods in Your Home<\/h3>\n
Did you know there are 93 different species of arthropods (insects, spiders, and their relatives) living in our homes on average? Don\u2019t worry \u2014 most of them aren\u2019t pests and are totally harmless! How many can you find in your house? Document them using iNaturalist.ca, and if you want, add them to the Never Home Alone<\/a> project!<\/p>\nHelpful resources:<\/h4>\n\n- The Public Science Lab: Learn more about your arthropods<\/a>!<\/li>\n
- Vox: The dozens of bug species that live in your home, in one chart<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
New to iNaturalist?<\/h3>\nA Blue Jay photographed in Ottawa during the City Nature Challenge 2021 on iNaturalist. \u00a9 Carol Howard Donati (CC-BY-NC-ND)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nUsing iNaturalist.ca is a great way to improve health and well-being through immersion in nature, it is free family-friendly activity that also really helps conservationists protect wildlife. Check out our resources page<\/a> to get the most out of it. Why not get outside today!<\/p>\nSome sections\u00a0adapted from the Exploring Nature In and Around Your Home for the 2021 City Nature Challenge<\/em> guide found here<\/a>.<\/p>\nLearn more about iNaturalist.ca<\/a><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As summer arrives, many of us are itching to get outside and enjoy the warmer weather after months indoors. Studies suggest that time spent in or around nature is beneficial…<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":120,"featured_media":9648,"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],"tags":[598],"class_list":["post-9644","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-connect-with-nature","tag-inaturalist"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9644","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\/120"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9644"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9644\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9668,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9644\/revisions\/9668"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9648"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9644"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9644"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9644"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
iNaturalist in Your Garden<\/h3>\n
Did you know there are 93 different species of arthropods (insects, spiders, and their relatives) living in our homes on average? Don\u2019t worry \u2014 most of them aren\u2019t pests and are totally harmless! How many can you find in your house? Document them using iNaturalist.ca, and if you want, add them to the Never Home Alone<\/a> project!<\/p>\n Using iNaturalist.ca is a great way to improve health and well-being through immersion in nature, it is free family-friendly activity that also really helps conservationists protect wildlife. Check out our resources page<\/a> to get the most out of it. Why not get outside today!<\/p>\n Some sections\u00a0adapted from the Exploring Nature In and Around Your Home for the 2021 City Nature Challenge<\/em> guide found here<\/a>.<\/p>\nCan one person make a difference for wildlife? Absolutely. A great place to start is in the garden. By garden, we mean any outdoor space that is influenced by a green (or not so green!) thumb. Everything from a vegetable patch to water gardens, acres of land to containers on a patio, a meadow maintained for butterflies to a curated perennial bed, shoreline properties to urban plots \u2013 all outdoor spaces can help wildlife. No matter your location, level of experience, garden style or budget, your garden can be beautiful and beneficial for wildlife. We have a new Gardening for Wildlife<\/a> iNaturalist.ca project where you can share the wildlife that visits your garden.<\/p>\nHelpful resources:<\/h4>\n
\n
Photograph Arthropods in Your Home<\/h3>\n
Helpful resources:<\/h4>\n
\n
New to iNaturalist?<\/h3>\n
Learn more about iNaturalist.ca<\/a><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"