iNaturalist is a free citizen science platform that can be accessed through a website or smartphone app hosted by the California Academy of Sciences and the National Geographic Society.
From the Islands Trust Conservancy website: “Citizen science can help provide much-needed data that supports scientists and land managers who are working to better understand the state of biodiversity on the islands… Citizen scientists have helped to discover new species, track invasive species, advocate for land protection, record rare and at-risk species, and more. By sharing your pictures of nature on citizen science apps, you can help scientists better understand and protect the ecosystems, plants, animals, and fungi with which we share the land and sea.
To improve our understanding and stewardship of biodiversity, Islands Trust Conservancy has created an iNaturalist project and we encourage you to get involved! The project will collect all iNaturalist observations made within covenant boundaries by participating landowners, covenant holders, and other land stewards. By joining the project, you can:
Create an interactive record of your nature explorations
Learn more about the species and ecosystems around you
Browse observations from other covenant landowners and engage with them
Help identify other observations made in your area
Contribute to our understanding of the biodiversity found in your conservation covenant – including rare, at-risk, and invasive species.”
Join the Islands Trust Conservancy project on iNaturalist! Go to this link and help us in helping science:
https://islandstrust.bc.ca/conservancy/protect-nature/care-for-your-land/citizen-science/
One of our many contributions to iNaturalist: a Sooty Grouse [Dendragapus fuliginosus] photographed in the Prospect Lake area in 2015. “According to the North American Breeding Bird Survey, Sooty Grouse populations declined by about 1.8% per year between 1968 and 2015, resulting in a cumulative loss of 57% over that period. [https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Sooty_Grouse/lifehistory]” This was an exciting photo to share. Join us in our contributions.
