How I Became a Citizen Scientist (Sort Of)
I’ve discovered a wonderfully geeky corner of the internet, and I am completely hooked. It’s an app called iNaturalist, and though it’s been sitting on my phone for quite a while, I only recently figured out how much fun (and how useful) it really is.
Here’s how it works: Whenever I come across an interesting plant, insect, or animal—like a cool moth on the trail—I snap a photo, upload it to the app, and iNaturalist uses AI to suggest an identification. It even shows the confidence level for each suggestion. From there, I can dig a little deeper, compare my photo to others, and decide if the suggested species looks like a match. For an amateur naturalist like me, it’s a dream.
Ornate tiger moth, helped with ID by iNaturalist.
At first, I wasn’t saving most of my observations. I’d just use the app to satisfy my curiosity in the moment. But then I realized I could save my observations and even choose to share them publicly. That meant I could also see what other people in my area were observing. Pretty cool.
But the best part? That discovery took me a little longer.
After I started saving and sharing my observations, I got a notification: Someone else had confirmed my species ID. My observation was now labeled “research grade,” meaning it could be used by real scientists. What?!
I can’t tell you how giddy this made me. My lifelong habit of noticing natural details, photographing interesting bugs and trees, and looking up species just made me… well, almost… a citizen scientist. My data is now contributing to research projects like Moths of California. Isn’t that amazing?
Gray bird grasshopper, identification assisted by iNaturalist
So if you’re even a little curious about the natural world around you, I highly recommend giving iNaturalist a try. Just download the app, snap photos of whatever you find, and post them. Honestly, it’s the most rewarding, feel-good “social media” experience on my phone.
Okay… maybe it’s not exactly like social media—but it’s close enough for me. And that’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.
