"Get out in nature and help scientists take the pulse of living things... plants and animals in the Twin Cities area so that we can know given how much the ecosystems are changing from development or climate change, what we have here, so we know how to protect it," urged UMN Extension's Andrea Lorek Strauss when I spoke to her about the app back in 2019.
Step one is downloading the free iNaturalist app. It's available for Apple or Google Play. Then find something in nature to share!
Take a picture of an individual species... a plant, an animal if you can see one, a bird, a worm, whatever it might be and then post it to the iNaturalist app. We are the public who are helping the professional scientists, the conservation biologists to understand the urban ecosystem.
If you know the name of what you see, that's great! If not, no big deal. Others participating in iNaturalist will help with identification.
In general, things found in nature are preferred like a Virginia Water Leaf... or Dutchman's Breeches... or a wild turkey!
Avoid cultivated plants, like tulips and pansies.
"All we need to do is to get people to go out and enjoy nature, report observations on the iNaturalist app and website. Enjoy nature and in doing so you're helping us understand the urban ecosystem better," said Lorek Strauss.
Have fun!
