iNaturalist

iNaturalist is a free, open, and global citizen science platform. It enables users to observe, identify, and share wildlife sightings, feeding directly into real-time biodiversity data. The platform offers a way of observing, reflecting, and contributing while embedding employees in ecological learning. Companies such as Oracle have used iNaturalist to host global BioBlitz events (an intensive event where participants work together to identify and record as many species as possible in a specific area over a set period of time) fostering collaboration, playful competition, and a visible commitment to the environment. From a simple 'car park safari' to a lunchtime BioBlitz, the approach encourages people to pause, look closely, and experience their surroundings in new ways. This method can be used to:  

• Encourage employees to notice nature in everyday settings
• Support environmental commitments through accessible data and storytelling
• Strengthen wellbeing, presence, and curiosity in the workplace and beyond

In this module Lindy Binder discusses iNaturalist, in this video she introduces the platform and explains how to use it:

‍Key Features  

Contributors: Anyone who can take digital photos and upload them online can take part. The more people who contribute, the greater the visibility and momentum your iNaturalist project can achieve.

Timeframe: You can create an ongoing iNaturalist account for your business, with contributions remaining open at any time. If preferred, you can also run a focused campaign within a set period, such as a BioBlitz over the course of a month.

Location: You can set up an iNaturalist project that automatically collects all observations made within a defined geographic area. This could be a single site such as a community garden, park, farm, or university campus, or multiple locations connected by a shared theme.  

Budget: This is a low budget method as people can participate using their own smartphones and is free to sign-up to – it can be accessed via an app or the web browser. You might want to budget for the following:  

• Cameras for contributors to borrow, if they do not have access to their own
• A prize/ or prizes for the team or an individual in certain categories, e.g. most species, most identified species, best picture etc.
• Exhibition materials, if you want to display photos   ‍

Adaptions:

SEEK does not require users to sign-up to access the platform, making it suitable for younger audiences or those less comfortable with digital platforms.