Mountains provide many habitats for plants and animals with windy ridgelines and protected valleys, varying sun exposures with aspect, and of course elevational changes. Accurate location information, which encapsulates the spatial variability, is super helpful to researchers like us here at AMC studying mountain plant phenology. However, we recognize that images coming into iNaturalist vary in the source and accuracy of their associated location data. There are ways to help capture the best location data possible that we thought we would share.

Using the iNaturalist mobile app to take your photos of plants and animals you encounter in the Whites is the best way to get good location information. The app will access your mobile devices GPS even when you are not within range of cell service. I have notice that it may take a few minutes for the app to get an accurate location reading so I go in and out of the location field (see #5 in the image below) a few times before I share/upload my observation. I don't edit or move the location but simple re-save the location allowing the app time to sync with satellites. Under the location title you can see the "Acc:" value go down as the app updates with the satellite information. There may be times, in the mountains especially, where this accuracy value does not improve and remains fairly high. That is no reason not to submit an observation as researchers can decide later if it meets their location accuracy needs.

If you use a digital camera and a GPS review the iNaturalist instructions for geotagging images at this link: https://www.inaturalist.org/pages/video+tutorials#geotag while this method likely provides fairly accurate location information only the lat and long data transfer and the accuracy of the location data is not provided.

If you add an image using a computer and web browser you can see how to add or edit your location information, including adding accuracy information in this video https://www.inaturalist.org/pages/video+tutorials#add_mob at about 1:14 minutes.

Hello everyone!

This is Lauren the researcher at Lakes of the Clouds Hut with an update on blooming up here. If you are hoping to see the mountain avens or bunchberry its better to get out here sooner rather than later as many are starting to lose their petals, but you can still catch a few. Mountain sandwort is blooming generously along the trails. If you are near a marshy area keep an eye out for the fluffy cotton sedge. If you are looking for more hands and knees flower viewing, the mountain cranberry is in bloom and the bog bilberry is starting to fruit. You can also view the last few flowers of Labrador tea.

Best, Lauren