Looking for a fun and interactive way to learn about all of the different plants and animals that call Riverside's Knowledge Path home? Then we have the app for you!
iNaturalist is an online community of amateur naturalists and scientific experts interested in the world around us. In iNaturalist, citizen scientists can upload photos of things they find in nature (ie. an insect, bird, plant, fish, or mammal) and iNaturalist will help you identify what plant or animal you are looking at. Other members of the iNaturalist community can then verify your observation or answer any questions you may have about what you found.
Take a look at this photo on the right for example. This is called tree lungwort which is a type of lichen that you find all throughout Riverside's Knowledge Path. Try taking a photo of Tree lungwort and uploading it to iNaturalist next time you are at the path!
When taking a photo for iNaturalist there are a few key things you should keep in mind:
Your photo should be clear and you should upload it with the highest quality possible
You should take a few photos of your observation from several different angles. This will make it easier for others to help you identify what you saw
When you're uploading your observation, make sure the date, time, and location of your observation is correct.
If you'd like to learn more about how to create an iNaturalist account and how you can upload photos, check out this video tutorial:
Any observations you upload to iNaturalist with a GPS coordinate within the boundary of Riverside's Knowledge Path with automatically be uploaded to our iNaturalist community project. You can find our community project here: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/riverside-s-knowledge-path
Happy exploring!