citizen-science
Citizen science is research conducted with the participation of non-professional and amateur researchers from the general public, contributing observations and data to scientific investigations. Plant science particularly benefits from this approach because botanical research requires geographic distribution and long-term monitoring across diverse ecosystems that professional researchers alone cannot achieve. Citizen scientists collecting plant observations—from species identification and phenological tracking to distribution mapping—expand the scale and reach of plant ecology and conservation research far beyond traditional field studies.
open_in_new WikipediaTrending: Virginia Springbeauty (Claytonia virginica) — 1303 observ...
Virginia Springbeauty (Claytonia virginica) recorded 1,303 research-grade observations ...
Trending: cut-leaved toothwort (Cardamine concatenata) — 800 observ...
Cut-leaved toothwort reached trending status on iNaturalist with 800 research-grade obs...
Trending: giant white fawn lily (Erythronium oregonum) — 174 observ...
The giant white fawn lily is trending on iNaturalist with 174 research-grade observatio...
Trending: common blue violet (Viola sororia) — 1091 observations this week
Common blue violet received 1,091 research-grade observations on iNaturalist this week,...
Trending: Blue Dicks (Dipterostemon capitatus) — 406 observations this week
Blue Dicks (Dipterostemon capitatus) became a trending observation subject on iNaturali...
Trending: western sword fern (Polystichum munitum) — 53 observation...
Western sword fern is generating strong interest from the naturalist community, with 53...
Bigelow's Spikemoss (Selaginella bigelovii) observed in 886X+MM, Sa...
A research-grade iNaturalist observation documents Bigelow's Spikemoss in San Luis Obis...
Scale Bud (Anisocoma acaulis) observed in Sunever Rd, Joshua Tree, CA, US
A research-grade observation documents the presence of Scale Bud (Anisocoma acaulis) in...
sea grape (Coccoloba uvifera) observed in NW 20th St, Boca Raton, FL, US
A citizen science record documents sea grape presence in an urban Boca Raton neighborho...