Community Science with iNaturalist: Tracking Biodiversity in Your Neighborhood

Earth Month is officially upon us, but at Planet Bee Foundation, we believe in taking care of our planet year round! With the power of community science, curiosity can be turned into real impact.

Community science, also known as citizen science, is when everyday people do research in their own communities and contribute to scientific understanding of the issues they face. Pollinators are one of nature’s most important populations, and we all can play a crucial role in their conservation by becoming a community scientist with Planet Bee! 

You don’t need any fancy credentials or experience, with just your phone and iNaturalist, supporting local biodiversity has never been more easy and fun!

Get Started with iNaturalist

Have you ever walked through your local park or backyard, and wanted to know more about the wide world of organisms buzzing and growing around you? All you need is your phone, its camera, iNaturalist, and a curious mind! 

To start observing the plants, insects and wildlife that we share our neighborhoods with, simply snap a photo of the organism and upload it. iNaturalist will use its identification features to tell you all sorts of interesting details about the species you’re looking at. 

These observations do more than just scratch your curiosity; by documenting your local pollinators and plants, you’re contributing valuable data to scientific research.

Your observations contribute to a huge pool of observational data from people all over the world, helping iNaturalist track a species’ seasonality and history. Beyond that, scientists have used iNaturalist observations to document new species, biodiversity and environmental changes, and track seasonal patterns! 

Participating in community science empowers us all to contribute to science, and supporting the conservation and understanding of our local ecosystems. To get started, check out our iNaturalist guide for tips on how to navigate the app and take good research grade photos!

Join Planet Bee’s iNaturalist Projects!

Want to join a national community of citizen scientists working to support pollinator conservation? Join one of Planet Bee’s iNaturalist Projects! Joining a project is a great way to use your observations to help document and track the activity of pollinators, native bees, and the habitats they rely on. By participating, your data will directly support these vital insect and plant populations.

Our community scientists have made millions of observations of pollinators and their habitats, building an amazing repository of data! If you want to get involved with Planet Bee’s iNaturalist Projects, click here to learn more!