iNaturalist: Intro and Beyond
Galbreath Wildlands Preserve
Sat, Apr 11, 10:00 am
– 2:00 pm
Photo Credit: CA Clark
Technology that helps nature lovers learn, and share information about the things they find - while hiking a trail, walking a neighborhood path, browsing along the beach - enhance those experiences and add to the scientific repository through citizen science. Birders swear by Merlin and eBird, burgeoning botanists often choose PlantNet, but the number one application for connecting people around the world to nature is iNaturalist.
Over the past 15 years, contributions from the community have made iNaturalist one of the world’s most powerful nature platforms. So far, the iNaturalist community has:
- Created over 145,000,000 verifiable observations (adding about 1 million per week!)
- Grown to 2.7 million contributors
- Observed more than 430,000 species around the world
But wait…it can do much more for science and for you. Learn how to use iNat and discover the ins and outs that make this such a remarkably powerful tool.
Presenter:
Sarah Reid is a certified California Naturalist and continues to learn and share her expertise in iNaturalist and nature journaling classes through Sonoma County. She is an iNaturalist Ambassador, and has held workshops and bio-blitzes to share her knowledge about the app since 2018.
She will be joined by Cat Chang, an adjunct professor of Architecture at the University of San Francisco and an iNaturalist board member. Hailing from Oʻahu, Catherine (Cat) Chang learned Mālama ‘āina, a Hawaiian phrase that means caring for and honoring the land, from her Native Hawaiian family. The Bay Area is her home now, while continuing to care deeply for the land. An adjunct professor of Architecture at University of San Francisco, she directs Madrone Design Studio and advises institutions and governmental agencies in between forays into the wilds of nature. She is an active member of the iNaturalist board of directors and looks forward to helping us learn how to maximize our usage of iNat.
Details:
In this two-part program, we will visit the Galbreath Preserve in the morning and work alongside a cadre of iNat super-users to find and observe a wide diversity of living things. As we go, we will learn and further hone our skills in using this app on our phones. We will probably focus mostly on plants and insects, since they are always around and plentiful and can present intricate puzzles that iNat can help solve.
After we master the basics, we will go to the Yorkville Community Center for an afternoon deeper dive into this powerful tool, using our phones or laptops as you prefer. Both might be useful. You can come just for the morning exploration on the Galbreath Preserve, or for just the afternoon more academic dive, or for both. If you would like to attend only the second part of the event at Yorkville Community Center please email Margot Rawlins [email protected]
Logistics:
- We will meet at the entrance to the Galbreath Preserve at 30720 Elkhorn Rd. in Yorkville, Mendocino County. The preserve is a 90-minute drive from Sonoma State's main campus. Driving directions are provided here
- Parking is limited so please consider carpooling.
- It is not possible to join the event late or to leave early.
- After a brief introduction to iNaturalist and the Galbreath Preserve, we will walk onto the preserve and work alongside experienced iNat users to gather observations to upload later to iNat. This portion will take about 90 minutes. Then we will drive back down Elkhorn Road to highway 128 and head northwest to the Yorkville Community Center at ~12:30pm, just a few short miles. After a brief lunch, our experts will show us how to take full advantage of the many elements iNaturalist can offer to help us maximize our learning and contribution to citizen science.
- You will receive more detailed information via email just before the event.
- Participants must sign a waiver upon arrival.
- This event is appropriate for minors 12 years and older. All minors must be accompanied by a legal guardian for the entire event, and all minors must be registered individually for the event (the parent’s/guardian’s email can be used for their registration)
- There is a restroom (porto-potty)available a few miles from the entrance to the preserve.
- Pets and smoking are not permitted.
- Due to rocky, unpaved trails, sturdy shoes for hiking are required and no strollers are permitted.
- No previous experience or knowledge is required to participate.
- This is a rain or shine event, but if the weather forecast is concerning, we will notify you via email of cancellation.
What to Bring:
If you don’t already have an iNaturalist account, please sign up on your desktop computer for a (free) iNaturalist.org account. Bring your charged cell phone with the iNat app installed. It will be helpful, but not mandatory, to have played around a bit with the app in advance.
Please bring a backpack, sun and insect protection, rain gear, a water bottle, a bag lunch, and sturdy shoes to hike in. We will be doing a minimal amount of walking, but it will be over uneven, potentially steep, ground. Layered clothing and long pants are recommended. Walking sticks might be helpful.
How to Sign Up:
Register at the link above. Each participant should register separately.
Registration is free.
About the Center
Sonoma State University’s Center for Environmental Inquiry empowers university students to work with community members on the environmental challenges of the North Bay. Our mission is to create an engaged and environmentally ready society, one where all people have the skills to find solutions to the challenges facing our earth. SSU Preserves are open to everyone engaged in education or research. Reservations are required.