What is iNaturalist?
iNaturalist is a free, easy-to-use online platform and app where everyday people—just like you—can record and share observations of plants, animals, fungi, and other organisms they find in nature. Whether you’re snapping a photo of a bumblebee on your balcony or spotting a mushroom on a hike, your observation becomes part of a growing global database that scientists and conservationists use to understand and protect biodiversity.
What’s a BioBlitz?
A BioBlitz is a community-powered effort to find and document as many species as possible in a designated area within a certain timeframe. Think of it as a nature scavenger hunt with a purpose! BioBlitzes bring people together to observe, learn, and contribute real data that can make a real-world impact on conservation efforts.
TNC iNaturalist BioBlitz Projects
In that same spirit, and in an effort to encourage more real-life engagement with the natural world, The Nature Collective has launched three ongoing iNaturalist projects. These ongoing initiatives invite anyone to take part—whether you’re birdwatching in your backyard, spotting pollinators in a local park, or hunting for fungi on a woodland trail. It’s a fun and meaningful way to connect our virtual love of nature with hands-on conservation and citizen science.
🐦 TNC Backyard Birds & Beyond
This community-driven initiative invites members of the TNC group to get outside, look up, and share their real-life bird sightings. Whether you’re watching from your window, walking your dog, or hiking through the woods, your contributions help build a valuable global snapshot of bird diversity, behavior, and distribution.
🍄 TNC Fungifinders
This project invites fungi-curious TNC group members to upload their observations of fungi in the wild. Whether you’re an experienced mycophile, an amateur naturalist, or just someone who found a cool mushroom while out on a walk, your contributions matter!
🐝 TNC Pollinators in the Wild
This project invites TNC group members to step outside and document native bees and other pollinators in the wild. Whether you’re in your backyard, walking a forest trail, or visiting a local garden, your photos and observations will help support real scientific research and raise awareness about the importance of pollinators.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE
Create an iNaturalist account (free & easy):
Download the iNaturalist app:
Join the projects
- Join the various projects using the links above.
Start observing!
- Take clear photos
- Try to capture the whole object, especially side and top views.
Upload your observation
- Add the location, date, and any notes. iNaturalist will even help you ID the species!
PRIVACY TIP – KEEPING YOUR LOCATION PRIVATE
If you’re concerned about sharing your exact location, iNaturalist allows you to obscure or hide it. When uploading an observation via the app, look for the “Location Visibility” option and select one of the following:
- Open: Your location is visible to everyone.
- Obscured: Only shows a rough area (within ~10 km). Good for backyard or neighborhood sightings.
- Private: The location is hidden from all users except you and project curators. (Please note, location information sharing is automatically turned off for TNC projects and is not visible by project coordinators. Location information can still be seen by other users if you choose to not set your Geoprivacy to Obscured or Private)
You can also change the privacy setting later by editing your observation. More info can be found here.
Whether you’re a seasoned naturalist or simply curious about the world around you, every observation counts. Through our three iNaturalist projects—TNC Backyard Birds & Beyond, TNC Fungifinders, and TNC Pollinators in the Wild—you can help document the beauty and biodiversity of our planet.
Let’s connect the joy of exploring nature in Second Life with real-world action and awareness. Together, we can support pollinators, fungi, birds—and a healthier planet for all!