Please share stories or circumstances (without naming anyone) where you have used the block feature. I'd like to know I'm not alone with using it because I've had a few situations so far where I've needed to use it.

I was blocked a while ago for asking someone a few times to mark their cultivated plant observations as captive / cultivated. It was my understanding that iNaturalist relies on it's userbase to contact people to teach them but I guess being told how to use iNaturalist made her rage so I was blocked. I didn't like the fact she blocked me, so I then blocked her! She continued uploading cultivated plants as wild and I never wanted to see her observations again. I also didn't want to ever invest my time identifying her observations again if they did ever unblock me in the future.

A different time I was teaching another new user how to mark their cultivated plant observation and another user (a 3rd party) jumped in to suggest the observer just obscures their coordinates instead so it's harder for users like me to detect if it's truly cultivated or not and implied they should obscure their coordinates for their safety. It made me feel quite angry because not only did it make the situation worse as now nobody will be able to check the coordinates to confirm if the observation is uploaded in garden or not, but they implied me checking the coordinates to see it was a garden was an issue for the observers safety to warrant obscuring their coordinates. Part of the reason I felt so angry was because he made a new user learn to mask their cultivated observations after I'd taken the time to try and teach them how to mark them. That new user went on to never learn to mark their observations as cultivated and to instead obscure the location. I don't think another user on iNaturalist has ever made me feel quite so angry so I had to block him (the 3rd party guy) before I got into an argument.

I've only been using iNaturalist for about 2 years now, but have already blocked 2 people. I plan to use iNaturalist for my entire life so I hope I don't have to block anymore people. I wonder if anyone else has blocked people in the past and why?

https://preview.redd.it/1kqorw4ib5ge1.jpg?width=768&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cab8caea4ecab494f4612bfeebc36dedeb335f2a

Does anyone know how to properly annotate these bark beetles lines? They're not really constructions, or tracks.

Dear iNaturalist colleagues, I am reaching out to you trying to find some guidance on the best way to do a project I have in mind. The idea is a project where people can follow the phenology of solitary bee colonies. This colonies are made normaly of approx 20-100 nests, occupying an area of 1-2 square meters most of the times in the ground or mud slopes. The majority of the activity occurs in a matter of weeks, and the rest of the year, the place becomes silent. I want to make a project where people can point where this colonies are, with a photo of the colony and an estimate of nests. And then, at this colony, to be able to record sightings of: -The bees species that nest in the colony. -The parasites present (You would be surprised by the number of species of parasites that can appear) -The moment of the year when the nest is active.

Most of the time you just find a colony, with the holes in the mud wall, but have no idea of which bee nests there, and it would be very helpfull to have the collective effort of one person telling where the colony is, another couple of persons telling when there is and when there is activity, and so on. If possible, it would be amazing to send "callenges", to observers in the area to say: Can you check on this colony in March and April and see if there is any activity? So, my question is: Is there any way of building a project like this? So far, the only option I saw is making in iNaturalist new public places on the map, one for each colony, and then add that place to the project, but I wanted to have the colony as an "umbrella" or "house" where the other observations are collected. Also, it is unlikely that people open a new place in the map of inaturalist, as they are normally bringing observations, not new places. The colony, I want it to be an observation by itself. Thanks a lot!!

Hi everyone!

I’m a passionate biologist, working on documenting the incredible biodiversity of Ecuador. Whether it’s the majestic páramo ecosystems or the vibrant species in tropical forests, I’m always discovering something new.

I share my findings on iNaturalist (bryanisrael1995) and post highlights of my adventures on Instagram (u/bioloko.fungitivo) and Facebook (Bioloko Fungitivo).

Here’s where you come in:
🌟 Can you help me identify species? Whether you’re a botanist, birder, entomologist, or just love nature, your input is invaluable!
🌟 Let’s connect and share knowledge! I love engaging with fellow nature lovers, illustrators and photographers.

If you’re curious about Ecuador’s biodiversity or just want to help out, check out my pages, drop a comment, or DM me with tips and advice. I’d love to collaborate or even just chat about the amazing natural world we share!

Thank you so much for taking the time to support this journey. Let’s explore nature together! 🌱

I saw this crane in IIT Bombay at Powai Lake. I'm leaning towards it being an Eastern Common Crane (Grus grus lilfordi). It was around 4 - 5 ft tall. INat suggested Whooping Crane, Grey Heron, Sandhill Crane. Yellow-billed Egret, Plumed Egret and Siberian Crane. Please help me

https://preview.redd.it/e4n1vwubnxee1.jpg?width=1136&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cfa9198205303dafa103b99ba48bb34814ce5b64

I saw this stork in IIT Bombay. Unfortunately, it didn't come close. This was during mid-December. It had white body and black wings. It was around maybe 3 - 5 feet in size. Could it be an Oriental Stork? please help me. Also, if you don't know, IIT Bombay is a semi-forested area in Mumbai, India. This was flying over the Powai Lake. BTW, Inat's suggestions are Black Stork / White Stork. Merlin Bird ID says Asian Woolly-necked Stork or Painted Stork

Side view

Front view

I’ve been making observations on private land (farmland with bush on it) that I just visit and don’t own, so i’ve been selecting to obscure the location because I know the owners of said land wouldn’t want people coming onto the land to try to follow up on something they saw on iNaturalist.

I’m extremely new to the app and i’m not sure if this is some kind of faux pas? I am under the impression the main reason for obscuring would be to protect vulnerable species.

Brand new to the app so please don’t hate on what is probably a stupid question. I was wondering what the chevrons mean next to the entries? Or are they books? I thought it might mean the number of times something has been viewed but when I clicked on one without an icon, it didn’t change…

Is there a relatively easy way to embed iNat project home page / widgets in my own website? I have a site with my own branding etc and Id like to embed the summary dials, last 5 observations, etc. I'm aware of the iNat widget but was looking for something that looks nicer. I have a basic understanding of HTML and set up my site in Wix

Can’t tell if my app is buggy or if there isn’t a new challenge for January 2025 yet.. Can anybody confirm?

The behavior I observed was parasoid wasp-like (seemingly inserting ovipositor in the plant). INat suggested Callibracon. Having said that, the head, legs and elytra appear beetle-like. Any insights from users.

Hello, greetings from Mexico! I’ve been thinking for months about the untapped potential in the relationship between iNaturalist and the generation of high-quality data for better access to unmapped information on OSM. I know there are already several layers available, but I believe that creating an additional Ecosystem Layer could represent a significant advancement in data analysis and accessibility.

This layer could include all types of vegetation and natural routes, such as migration patterns and animal tracking, along with the properties of each element. For example, in Mexico, it could indicate whether a plant is toxic and to what extent, its uses in food, health, or rituals.

To achieve this, a lot of work and resources would be needed. What do you all think about this idea?

https://preview.redd.it/s6ir290utt9e1.png?width=1972&format=png&auto=webp&s=429c1c89f6ab8578d87fac0f1e162b439a77f654

https://preview.redd.it/rmedooa2ut9e1.png?width=2000&format=png&auto=webp&s=098e335159b8e06cf60cfd96bd5f9fe0d21d6ecd

Are the dots onto the map the exact spot the item has been found? Or is it just giving a vague area you can find it?

It still has Seriola Dorsalis as a subspecies of Seriola Lalandi (Yellowtail kingfish) even though the California yellowtail was made it's own seperate species. Also Seriola aureovittata (Nagasaki Amberjack) was also once thought to be the same species as the Yellowtail kingfish, but split from the Yellowtail kingfish along with the California yellowtail. Please correct me if I'm wrong, I just thought this was interesting.

Hi all,

I’ve just started doing iNaturalist! I’m on holiday, seeing lots of new species and I’ve basically started in my grandparent’s garden!

I started by being really accurate, but then realised I was basically the only person in this area using iNaturalist - so my grandparents house is a giant hotspot of data.

Secondly, though certain species are protected, there are lots of hunters in this country, and I worry about some of the species I’m seeing and being very accurate with their locations (they’re not endangered, they’re not typically hunted, but I also wouldn’t put it past someone to shoot something when a very accurate flag has been planted where it was seen! There are also lots of hunters in the area who go after legal birds, I find cartridge shells everywhere, so people are hunting nearby anyway).

I looked up “obscured” locations and put them on. Now my grandparents house isn’t a hotspot, but because it’s a random spot in a 20x20km grid, loads of my results are far out to sea (we’re coastal).

Do people see that the points have been obscured? Or do they think I’m an idiot putting locations clearly of a bird in a tree out at sea? What about researchers, can they still see the actual accurate points, or is this information now useless to them?

Is it better to mark the entire village, rather than a very specific point (instead of doing obscured??)

How do you balance the issue of personal privacy, protecting animals, but also helping researchers and sharing the amazing things you see?

Heyo!! Made this Pokedex entry for the mule deer after i dragged my boyfriend out to take pics of mammals. He loves Pokemon go, so I think this will help keep him motivated to go outdoors.

Typing and Dex# are randomish, the ability and description are based on the Wiki

Hello! I have been using Seek for a minute, but I have been struggling to get small insects and distant birds.

Does anybody know cases/tech accessories that might help improve the camera on iPhone?