Im a casual observer but have always had an avid nterest of all things nature. After discovering iNaturalist I finally have an outlet to explore those interest.
However, I have to heavily rely on my own research skills and capabilities and analytical skils when it comes to learning more in depth about learning more about species.
I explore iNaturalist, looking at others observations, following the hyperlink to the wiki in the species description, exploring the observations map, and of course trying to google.
Im aware of BugGuide.net, but most of that is just identification and a plethora of taxon names that I cant pronounce.
Are there any resources yall know of that I can use to read up on to familiarize myself with insects and plants, such as body structure, termanology, different growth environments and habitats, etc. without having to go and get a batchelors or masters? Going to college osnt an option for me at the moment.
I frequently use Google Scholar to look up references on some species that’s new to me, or about which I want to learn in more depth. It’s hit or miss. You might find relevant info on the biology of a species but some proportion returned by Google Scholar is either going to be off-base, very technical, or irrelevant. It’s always worth a shot.
I also suggest visiting your local library or bookstore and looking at field guides. A good field guide should provide an overview of larger groupings and general identification guidance as well as more detailed profiles of specific species. You could also check out the biology/botany/zoology sections, but the material here may be more technical.
If you can find field guides for the specific groups you’re trying to learn about and identify, that is probably the best option. Definitely worth the investment
Books are better than online resources for learning about nature. All my books are quite old, from when I was at university, so I can’t give you current recommendations, but you can browse through the information in a book much easier than online. Natural history museums and botanic gardens are excellent, they have a lot of resources and activities and usually a good bookshop.
I second finding guidebooks that cover your location. Librarians will be of great help with finding you resources you can check out before you buy. I have gotten used books online for cheaper than new. Keep in mind that printed guides can go ‘out of date’ pretty quickly meaning the Latin name / taxonomy might change over time and common names can be different than what you’ll see here at iNat. But the identification tips don’t change.
Watch who is identifying in your area. Is there someone who does a lot of plants? or spiders? or frogs? Check out the bio of that person. If they are fairly local to you, have they written any journal posts that offer ID tips or links to local resources? If they display their real name, you could google to see if they’ve published any guides (I know at least 2 people in my state have: one on animal tracks and another on bees).
Join projects that are focused on specific kinds of observations or taxons. Some projects will write journal posts with ID tips for the focus of their project (not many… but some!).
When I’m googling for info, I always add the state I’m in to any search. That helps me find websites that focus on dragonflies or wildflowers or grass or grasshoppers for my state or states near me. I have a lot of links, but for Minnesota and it looks like you’re much further south than we are!
Biodiversity Heritage Library takes some navigating but there are loads of obscure papers on there, mainly old but some current journals are using it to make their resources publicly available. If it is a particular group of species you are interested in, google the name and see if there are any societies devoted to them. Society websites will often have introductory information.
