Citizen Scientists of iNaturalist Playing Crucial Role in Preservation of Biodiversity
In an era of accelerating biodiversity loss and climate change, iNaturalist has emerged as a revolutionary force in global conservation—transforming everyday people into citizen scientists who document life on Earth with their smartphones. What began as a student project in 2008 has grown into a global nonprofit with over 7 million monthly users and more than 323 million observations, making it one of the most powerful tools ever created for tracking species distribution and ecological change. The platform’s real power lies not just in data collection, but in its ability to democratize science: anyone, anywhere, can contribute to research-grade records that help scientists rediscover lost species, identify new ones, and monitor how ecosystems are shifting in real time. These observations are automatically fed into the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), where they’re used in thousands of peer-reviewed studies—proving that community-driven data can now drive large-scale scientific discovery. As Daniel Nesgaard of GBIF notes, iNaturalist is now cited in roughly 30-40% of biodiversity studies that use open data, a testament to its indispensable role in modern ecology. Beyond the numbers, the episode reveals a deeper transformation: iNaturalist is cultivating a global constituency for nature.
iNaturalist has collected over 323 million observations from 7 million monthly users, making it one of the largest biodiversity datasets in history.
Over 7,000 peer-reviewed scientific papers have cited iNaturalist data, with the platform now cited in 30-40% of relevant studies using open biodiversity data.
iNaturalist observations are automatically shared with GBIF, the global biodiversity data hub, enabling researchers to track species changes across time and space.
The platform enables the rediscovery of species thought to be extinct, such as the greater chestnut weevil, and regularly uncovers new species never before described by science.
Anyone with a smartphone can contribute to conservation science—no formal training required—making biodiversity monitoring accessible to gardeners, city dwellers, and families.
…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus
Introducing iNaturalist: From Student Project to Global Movement
Tom Christopher introduces the podcast and guest Arya Natarajan, setting the stage for a deep dive into iNaturalist’s origins as a 2008 UC Berkeley senior project and its evolution into a global nonprofit with transformative impact on biodiversity science.
How iNaturalist Turns Everyday Observers into Citizen Scientists
The conversation explores how iNaturalist empowers non-scientists to identify species using AI and community verification, turning casual nature photos into research-grade data that fuels global biodiversity monitoring.
The Power of Mass Observation: Rediscoveries, New Species, and Conservation Impact
“We see them all the time. People go out and document, let's say a fly that they see in their backyard. Think like, oh, you know, it's just a fly, whatever. I'll put it on iNaturalist. And then somebody who is a fly specialist will come in and say, whoa, I've never seen this one before. Let's see if we can dig into the story even more. And lo and behold, they will have found a species that hasn't been formally described or documented by Western science.”
Scaling Biodiversity Science: From Local Gardens to Global Data
“Research at that scale wouldn't have been nearly as easy without things like iNaturalist because you have all these photos from people all across the US. And without that, those scientists would have to go out by themselves and collect every single data point that goes into their studies.”
The Global Network: Community, Data, and the Future of Conservation
Arya discusses iNaturalist’s global reach, its role in creating a worldwide community of nature enthusiasts, and the importance of its open data model in empowering scientists and land managers worldwide.
“And then in terms of new species, we see them all the time. People go out and document, let's say a fly that they see in their backyard. think like, oh, you know, it's just a fly, whatever. I'll put it on iNaturalist. And then somebody who is a fly specialist will come in and say, whoa, I've never seen this one before. Let's see if we can dig into the story even more. And lo and behold, they will have found a species that hasn't been formally described or documented by Western science.”
“And I think research at that scale wouldn't have been nearly as easy without things like iNaturalist because you have all these photos from people all across the US. And without that, those scientists would have... to go out by themselves and collect every single data point that goes into their studies.”
“The heart of iNaturalist is the community learning about nature alongside each other, documenting what's near them, sharing it. Those things will never ever change.”
Host
Guest
iNaturalist
organization
Arya Natarajan
person
Global Biodiversity Information Facility
organization
Daniel Nesgaard
person
Greater Chestnut Weevil
other
University of California Berkeley
organization
National Geographic Society
organization
Perfect Earth Project
organization
WESU 88.1 FM
organization
SLIME Project
other
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