1. Anyone can use it to discover more about the plants and animals around them, and it’s free
We love that the iNaturalist app (on Android and iOS) lets you record observations of plants and animals you see. For free. Simply use the app’s camera function to record a photo of a plant or animal specimen and it will generate a species identification match based on its extensive database. It’s a fun, easy way to learn about biodiversity around us, especially for those of us who can’t identify that many species by sight (yet!).
The data from our observations can be uploaded through iNaturalist to contribute to scientific data repositories, like the open access Global Biodiversity Information Facility. This data then helps science professionals, conservationists and other interested parties study patterns of biodiversity and monitor population health. So our humble photos of plants and animals around us can go a long way to helping these species thrive.
2. We love that it started as a Masters thesis project at UC Berkeley
The three people behind iNaturalist, which was launched 18 years ago in March 2008, are Ken-ichi Ueda, Jessica Kline and Nate Agrin. They conceived of it as part of their Masters project at the UC Berkeley School of Information. What began as a website used mostly in California has become an international platform with mobile apps, much loved by nature enthusiasts around the world.
Ken-ichi Ueda, who was a co-director and lead developer for iNaturalist, said in an interview featured in a blog post on the iNaturalist site celebrating when they turned 10 on March 10th 2018, that iNaturalist was actually one of the main reasons he enrolled at the UC Berkeley School of Information. He had always been interested in nature, and when he moved from New England to the San Francisco Bay Area in 2003, he grew acutely aware of the new ecological landscape around him, with its brown hills and pink salt ponds. He began taking photos with his digital camera and sharing them on the internet and through these photos, soon began connecting with other nature lovers and learning about the new ecosystem. As he says in the interview on the blog post on iNaturalist’s website:
“This was in 2003, pretty much the dawn of modern social media and online mapping, so combining natural history with these things seemed like it had a lot of potential. However, it also seemed like a lot of work, and, being lazy, I did nothing about it. Attending the iSchool was a way to force myself to work on this idea.”
— Ken-ichi Ueda, co-director and lead developer for iNaturalist
3. We’re thrilled that iNaturalist turns 18 on 20th March 2026! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
This formidable biodiversity helper started out as seeds in the imaginations of three nature enthusiasts who loved the idea of connecting through shared photos to learn more about the incredible plants and animals sharing our world. That it comes of age at 18 years after it was born as a website on the internet in 2008, is testament to the gap it fills in ‘ordinary’ people’s lives. People who are not scientists, not conservationists, not nature professionals in any field, but who share a fierce passion and love for the fellow organisms living on the Earth and are fuelled by a desire to protect and celebrate them. And we, on this 18th birthday of our favourite citizen science app, celebrate YOU, iNaturalist, and all the wonderful human beings powering you on. Happy Birthday!!
iNaturalist is available for iOS and Android.
PHOTOS: Melissa De Silva. With thanks to Jamie (pictured).