Guidelines & Tips for Submitting Observations

Welcome to the BIO120 Biodiversity Project!

We're hoping to put together a sample of biodiversity sightings from BIO120 students around the world. You can help by contributing sightings from wherever you are!

In order to contribute, you need to sign up for an iNaturalist account, then submit observations. You can submit one observation, or many observations over the course of the term - it's up to you! For instructions on joining the project, please see the Biodiversity Project page on Quercus.

NOTE: The Biodiversity Project is NOT a mandatory part of BIO120. It's meant to be a fun and interesting way for students to engage with the biodiversity in their local area, but it is COMPLETELY OPTIONAL.

What can you submit as an observation?

ANY plant, tree, animal, insect, fungi, etc. that you see in the wild! All you need is a photo, an approximate location and a date and time. iNaturalist will suggest possible IDs, and the community of iNaturalist users (along with the BIO120 team) will help confirm the genus or species identification where possible.

What CAN'T you submit as an observation?
Please do not submit observations of captive animals (like pets or zoo animals), because the website is meant for tracking observations of wild species.

Please do not submit observations of garden plants, OR if you really want to submit a garden plant, check the "Captive/Cultivated" box on the submission page.

Do NOT submit any photos that you didn't take yourself!

What makes a good observation?
Anything can be a good observation! But you're more likely to get an ID from the community if your observation contains more information (date, time, approximate location, etc.) and if you have a photo where you can see the species fairly well. However, unclear photos can still be worth a try - sometimes it's amazing how well the community can ID a dark or blurry photo!

If you have any questions about the project, please contact Laura at bio120@utoronto.ca

Thanks for participating!

Posted on 20 de setembro de 2021, 06:06 PM by lhp2