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43 results for "inaturalist"
A chance photo uploaded to a citizen science app has rediscovered a plant species missing since 1967. The find shows how everyday people with smartphones are revolutionizing conservation science.
Thousands of Seattle-area residents are using their smartphones to help track local wildlife during a four-day biodiversity challenge. Last year, community scientists logged nearly 20,000 observations of plants, animals, and fungi across three counties.
A horticulturalist snapping photos in the Australian Outback accidentally rediscovered a plant scientists thought had vanished in the 1960s. His simple upload to iNaturalist sparked a conservation success story that's inspiring landowners across Australia.
A horticulturist snapping photos while banding birds in the Queensland outback just brought a plant back from extinction. The purple-flowered Ptilotus senarius hadn't been seen since 1967, but a simple upload to iNaturalist changed everything.
Everyday people using biodiversity apps are helping Australia catch invasive species before they spread, leading to successful eradications. From crabs to cacti, ordinary citizens are becoming the eyes and ears that scientists need to protect the environment. #
Once wiped out by pollution and trapping, river otters are splashing back into Colorado's waterways. Now the state needs your help tracking these playful creatures.
A casual bushwalk near Mildura led to a scientific first when Judy Allen photographed an insect species never before captured in the wild. Her discovery is helping fill crucial gaps in Australia's biodiversity data.
Armed with smartphones and curiosity, volunteers are documenting thousands of species along the entire U.S.-Mexico border this spring. The annual Border BioBlitz turns a politically divided landscape into a celebration of shared natural heritage.
An emerald-green moth missing since 1875 just turned up alive in South Africa, thanks to everyday people with cameras. Twelve sightings posted online between 2020 and 2023 proved the stunning insect never went extinct.
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A fisheries biologist accidentally photographed newborn California giant salamanders in the wild for the first time ever. The rare discovery is helping scientists protect one of North America's largest and most mysterious amphibians.
Scientists need your backyard firefly videos and photos to save 18 vulnerable species from extinction. Armed with just a smartphone, anyone can become a citizen scientist collecting critical data that researchers desperately need.
Over 400 cities worldwide are turning everyday people into citizen scientists this April, using just their phones to document local wildlife. The City Nature Challenge invites everyone to snap photos of plants and animals in their neighborhoods, contributing real data to science.
Scientists in Ecuador discovered a spider that perfectly mimics a parasitic fungus, fooling even researchers at first glance. This first-of-its-kind discovery shows nature's creativity and highlights how citizen scientists are helping unlock rainforest secrets.
A worldwide event this weekend turns city dwellers into citizen scientists by asking them to photograph wild plants and animals in their neighborhoods. Cities host more biodiversity than you might think, and the City Nature Challenge proves it.
Scientists in Ecuador discovered a spider that mimics a parasitic fungus growing on its own kind. This unprecedented camouflage strategy has never been documented in spiders before.
More than 20 volunteers transformed three spoil islands in Florida's Indian River Lagoon, clearing trails and documenting nearly 200 wildlife observations. The community event shows how hands-on environmental action creates lasting change while connecting people to nature.
Researchers just identified three new species of praying mantises that flatten themselves against leaves like tiny camouflage experts. Two were found in Australia and one in Papua New Guinea, with help from everyday citizen scientists posting photos online.
Wisconsin is home to the world's largest population of the endangered Karner blue butterfly, and now anyone can help protect it. The state's Department of Natural Resources is recruiting volunteers to track these rare pollinators starting in July.
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After a 19-year search, scientists finally caught and confirmed a new species of ghost pipefish that looks exactly like Mr. Snuffleupagus from Sesame Street. The adorable 1.5-inch fish uses its fuzzy filaments to disguise itself as floating algae in coral reefs across the Pacific. #
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Joshua trees across the Mojave Desert are flowering months ahead of schedule, and researchers are asking nature lovers to help solve the mystery. Your smartphone photos could help save these iconic desert plants and their tiny moth partners.
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