iNaturalist - Identify nature & wildlife

One of the world's most popular nature apps, iNaturalist helps you identify the plants and animals around you. Get connected with a community of over 400,000 scientists and naturalists who can help you learn more about nature! What's more, by recording and sharing your observations, you'll create research quality data for scientists working to better understand and protect nature.

KEY FEATURES

- Discover species new to you both near and far

- Record your own observations and share them with the community

- Receive suggestions and crowdsourced identifications of what you've seen

- Discuss and help others identify what they've seen

- Follow projects comprised of smaller communities and fellow citizen scientists passionate about a particular place and/or species

FAQ

When can I make observations that will count for the City Nature Challenge?

All observations must be made starting on April 28 at midnight 12:00 am (South African standard time) and up until midnight May 1 at 23h59 (ZA time). Any observation made before or after will not count.

Note that this is for observations made - you have a week to upload and identify your observations afterwards. So it is OK to not upload during the 4 days of the challenge and upload them the week afterwards. Or you can do it immediately if you prefer.

Similarly, it is the dates observed that counts - identifications may be done anytime until May 8 to count for the City Nature Challenge - you do not have to identify your observations to submit them (you are welcome to identify them though). In fact, it is often most efficient to upload your observations first and then identify them at leisure later.

Can I upload photos during the CNC that I took prior to the CNC?

No, only observations made during April 28 - May 1 will count for the City Nature Challenge.

It is a snapshot of biodiversity for the weekend for your city - and all participating cities - that counts.

How can I make sure my observations are in my city's CNC project?

The easiest way is to go to your city’s project, click the “Observers” tab.

Look for your name there in the list of observers!

If you have joined your city’s project, you can see which observations are included by looking on the right Projects sidebar on the web version, or the projects section on the app.

What kinds of observations should I make during the CNC?

Any observations of WILD plants, animals, fungi, seaweed, bacteria, lichen, or living organisms you find in and around your city!

This includes dead organisms, or evidence such as shells, tracks, scats, feathers, nests, slime trails.

But domestic cats, domestic dogs and people (esp. selfies) are NOT included. You can include people or hands or fingers to show scale of living organisms (if it is safe to do so), but it must be about the organism (although sometimes with fishermen, one never knows if the observation is more about the fish or the man).

Remember, photographs must clearly show the organism: please focus, and crop and compose your observations carefully if you can.

What if I make an observation of something I know isn't wild? Will it still count for the City Nature Challenge?

Yes, as long as you’re not making a lot of these observations, most cities will include observations of non-wild organisms during the CNC. However, these must be marked as captive-cultivated.

If you notice any observation of a captive/cultivated plant or animal, please mark it as cultivated if you are certain.

Captive/cultivated includes pets, animals in a zoo/aquarium, plants in your garden, potted plants, planted plants at a botanical garden, etc. Often these may be part of an interaction: e.g. bees may be visiting their flowers, or caterpillars eating their leaves, so please include them. Note that birds held at SANCOB and other rescue organizations also count as "captive" until released.

Domestic dogs, domestic cats and domestic humans will not count, so please don't bother uploading them. Go out and find something wild. Or record the "wildlife" living in your house - ants, spiders, moths, cockroaches and other visitors.