iNaturalist

So nice to have the ability to identify flora, funga, and fauna all in one place.

I love this app! However, I wish that there was a feature that would show you what flora/fauna had been seen recently in an area. That way I could keep an eye out for specific animals such as migratory birds that only stop briefly in an area. It would also be nice to have when travelling to a new area. I also wish it was easier to tell which observations have not yet become research grade on the map. That way I can more easily find and identify observations that need a second opinion. Finally, I think there should be a key to the map on the app. Now that I am familiar with the layout I know what all the colours mean, but a new user would not know this from the get-go unless they went to the website. Overall, these are very minor wishes- inat has been amazing otherwise!

I’ve been using iNaturalist for a few years and it’s by far the most amazing resource I’ve found for learning how to identify plant species that I don’t know. As long as I take good photos the app is able to find the exact matching species almost every time. It’s also great to learn from so many other people around the world who have more experience than me.

Not very useful if you’re in the woods. Great if you are in a city with strong internet.

It works.

Powerful app to identify and contribute to the general knowledge about “who else lives here” including plants, mammals, birds, insects, fungi, algae, etc. A combination of machine-learning algorithms and knowledgeable human experts helps ID each observation. You can take photos while you are out and upload them later, or try to get suggested IDs on site. If you are an expert about a taxonomic group or a specific area, perhaps you can contribute IDs to the observations of others. The observations are available to scientists (and anyone) who might want to use them in their work, or just to see what has been observed near by. It’s the best and most accurate way i have found to learn the local species (aside from studying a real binomial key), without relying on sketchy IDs.

I was forced to download this app for a stupid school project and it's been awful. I am being harassed and threatened on this site to the point I have to get police involved.

I was forced to download this app for a stupid school project and it’s been awful. I am being harassed and threatened on this site to the point I have to get police involved.

While I wish the phone app was as robust as the desktop app, I still love it. Trying to observe species in the wild for the first time and get good observations is a reallu challenge to set for yourself. Highly recommend the app

I have really started to like spiders but don’t know anything about the ones around me. I post pictures and within 3 minutes I know what they are and am off to find all I can about them. This is an awesome app for people like me.