I think many ECOLOG-ers might like to participate in the upcoming global snapshot of biodiversity <http://greatnatureproject.org/events/global-snapshot-2015/?utm_source=GNP&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=gnp_20150419&utm_campaign=ECOLOG> for National Geographic’s Great Nature Project <http://greatnatureproject.org/?utm_source=GNP&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=gnp_gnp_20150419&utm_campaign=ECOLOG> in collaboration with iNaturalist.org <https://www.inaturalist.org/>.
The Great Nature Project is ongoing, but from May 15 to 25, our goal is to motivate people to explore biodiversity wherever they are and document as many species as possible. Everything observed between May 15 and 25 and uploaded to greatnatureproject.org or iNaturalist.org will automatically be counted for the global snapshot. How to participate: - Go outside, explore, and take photos of biodiversity wherever you are. - Upload your photos on greatnatureproject.org, iNaturalist.org, or using the iNaturalist mobile app. - Include information about where and when you saw it. - Identify what you saw. Just find the taxonomic group that corresponds to the extent of your knowledge. Sometimes observations start at the level of “flowering plant” or “fungus”-- that’s ok. Others can suggest identifications if your photos and description are clear enough. If you know exactly what it was-- great! - Help other members of the community identify what they saw! You can suggest identifications for observations made by other people and make comments. I imagine most of you have at least one group of organisms that you know well, and you can help others get to know them, too. What happens to observations submitted to the Great Nature Project? The Great Nature Project was not created to answer a specific question. Rather, your photo-documented observations contribute to a database of records that scientists, decision makers, and even you can use to answer questions about where and when different species occur. Observations with identification agreement are shared with the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) <http://www.gbif.org/>. To download data submitted to the Great Nature Project, please use the download tools from iNaturalist <http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/export?projects%5B%5D=national-geographic-great-nature-project>. To see examples of the kind of research that often uses observations from iNaturalist, check out GBIF <http://www.gbif.org/newsroom/uses>. Help spread the word! We created a toolkit of materials <https://drive.google.com/a/ngs.org/folderview?id=0BzV0qT0Q6H4leWQxTkc4bzkyT0k&usp=drive_web>including flyers, banners, and postcards, which you can share with any individuals or organizations who you think might be interested in participating. Please contact us at [email protected] if you have trouble accessing the materials on Google Drive <https://drive.google.com/a/ngs.org/folderview?id=0BzV0qT0Q6H4leWQxTkc4bzkyT0k&usp=drive_web> . Ways to engage others: - Spread the word in your email newsletter. - Print a flyer from the toolkit and post it in an office, information booth, or trailhead. The flyer was created especially with parks and nature centers in mind! - Host an event. You could organize a photo walk, use the assets in the toolkit to help promote it, and show people how to participate in the Great Nature Project. You could do a bioblitz to inventory species in a yard or park (find out more about bioblitzes at natgeoed.org/bioblitz). iNaturalist has many useful tools to keep track of observations within certain boundaries such as parks (learn more at inaturalist.org/projects <http://www.inaturalist.org/projects>). Join us at 8 PM Eastern Time on Wednesday, April 22 (Earth Day) for a Google Hangout <https://plus.google.com/events/ct0jfp0q9huv7c1gh6r17l86hh0?ar_a=1>to learn more. If you want to receive updates in the future about the Great Nature Project, please create an account <http://greatnatureproject.org/register/?utm_source=GNP&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=gnp_20150419&utm_campaign=ECOLOG> . We look forward to seeing observations come in from all over the world! Please ask your friends and family to help put biodiversity on the map. Sincerely, Carrie Seltzer and the rest of National Geographic’s Great Nature Project team National Geographic Society 1145 17th Street, NW Washington, DC 20036-4688 USA 202-862-8239
