Fun with observations - making patterns on the map

[earthknight]

In the Sonoran Desert someone has been having fun with Creosote observations drawing patterns with them:

• https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=129627&subview=map&taxon_id=68205

Anyone found similar playful applications of observations on iNat where someone is making large-scale patterns using existing species?

[lotteryd]

I can make patterns in the observations themselves, but I don’t know how to do that on the map.

[jwidness]

[lappelbaum]

I was trying to think of a place I could do something similar and finally I thought of a long-leaf pine savanna that had been burned recently enough that I wouldn’t be battling bushes to move through. Of course I would be doing observations of the long-leaf pines themselves. But then I remembered that I can’t walk very far without getting a massive migraine. Maybe someone else can use my idea.

@jwidness you missed one

[susanhewitt]

When the roads themselves make patterns on the map, it is easy enough to drive down a road and keep stopping to make a row of observations that follows the shape of the road.

[jasonhernandez74]

@susanhewitt

it is easy enough to drive down a road and keep stopping to make a row of observations

Some taxa make a pretty good trail map if you look at all users’ observations in an area.

[david99]

I wonder if they actually observed that species at each location, or just placed dots on the map to make the pattern. The bat shape is 20km wide, that’s some dedication if they actually walked that entire route

[pisum]

they look like legitimate observations. they’re not completed in a one go (the snake is still in progress), and there are other observations made along the way. still, dedication.

[giannamaria]

This looks like a great orienteering challenge! I should try to draw a quail or a lizard like this sometime :-)

[pisum]

i think the most interesting kind of shape would be one that incorporates existing landscape features into it. if you look at the moon, you can see that part of it follows the curve of an existing road / trail and some sort of runoff path.

[sedgequeen]

How can one see these maps on iNatrualist? I mean what species and where are they?

[jwidness]

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?nelat=33.3424604943829&nelng=-113.37391428709488&subview=map&swlat=32.33402314442324&swlng=-114.19239573240738&taxon_id=68205&user_id=linpiest

[sedgequeen]

Thank you! That is really cool. (I’ve now posted it on iNaturalist and hope some of my friends will check it out.)

[pnwcoasthiker]

It’s fun to look at his areas of interest (birds, bats and reptiles) and then look at the graphics…Creative and fun.