iNaturalist.ca Citizen Science Platform
In late 2012 the Canadian Wildlife Federation and NatureServe Canada embarked on a mission to develop a citizen science platform that would permit Canadians to report plant and wildlife sightings. After exploring the possibility of creating an entirely new system, iNaturalist.org was approached and a partnership established to create a Canadian version of the international iNaturalist platform.
iNaturalist.ca was launched in June 2015, and the Canadian Wildlife Federation, Parks Canada and NatureServe Canada formed a Steering Committee to lead on the governance of iNaturalist Canada.
The primary objectives of iNaturalist Canada and the work of the Steering Committee are to:
- Promote the use of iNaturalist.ca as a bilingual platform where people in Canada can record and share what they see in nature, connect with a community of nature watchers and contribute as a citizen scientist to a growing wealth of knowledge of Canadian species,
- Ensure this wealth of information is integrated into biodiversity research and decision-making (e.g., incorporated into NatureServe Canada Network Conservation Data Centre data assets).
The Steering Committee members work collaboratively to support the Canadian Wildlife Federation’s leadership role in implementing various iNaturalist.ca activities and objectives, including:
- Communicating with iNaturalist.org to identify and implement platform enhancements,
- Organizing and promoting City Nature Challenge and other BioBlitz events in Canada,
- Development of iNaturalist.ca user resources and guides,
- Delivery of iNaturalist.ca webinars and presentations to various user groups,
- Provision of funding and collaboration on funding applications to advance iNaturalist.ca objectives,
- Facilitating the integration of iNaturalist.ca data into NatureServe Canada Network Conservation Data Centre databases,
- Coordinating iNaturalist.ca user requests for changes to taxon geoprivacy settings (in consultation with species experts, the Steering Committee evaluates requests for changes and updates taxon geoprivacy if warranted).
As a Steering Committee member, NatureServe Canada is provided access to the true locations of iNaturalist.ca records that are obscured to the public (excluding records set to Private by contributors to iNaturalist.ca). NatureServe Canada makes this data available to the Network of Canadian Conservation Data Centres and to other leading biodiversity organizations and agencies upon request (e.g., COSEWIC, ECCC Recovery, academia). Requests will be considered if:
- There is a demonstrated and justifiable scientific and/or conservation rationale for the request,
- The Recipient agrees to the terms and conditions for data use, display and sharing as outlined in a Data License Agreement signed by the recipient and the Steering Committee.
Visit www.iNaturalist.ca to learn more and get involved in the ongoing success story of citizen science in Canada.
