Hello iNat community! I’m a 16 year old guy trying to get into biology as a hobby and I’m curious if you have any advice on where to start in my research. I’ve already memorized the 9 major and I know some basic things.
Oh! And also comment your favorite animal :)
Hi welcome ! Getting started is easy !
Download the inaturalist app (its free)
Or if your not sure what species your scannung (insted of waiting for other prople near you to hekp you out , you can download the amazing app “SEEK” (its a side app to upload your images with name of scan to inattalist) enjoy exploring and welcome, any questions feel free to message me ( I am an intaralist ambassador and allways here to help out! Have fun exploring and learning
Well this is perfect ! On a laptop or computers sign into your i naturalist page you can create books , journals of your discovery’s and write down what you found about your study ! It’s super helpful! There is also books available to study and read online though the website once signed in , so you don’t have to waste money on thousands of books ! You can also create your own book (if you WANAN teach others what you found and etc) have fun exploring hope this response helps ya study your area of study
Hi, welcome! :) I feel like iNat itself is a great place to start. I learned a lot just by getting outside and doing it! If there’s a specific group that interests you (flowers, birds, moths etc), consider just taking a while to browse research-grade (which basically just means “we know for certain that this is what it is”) observations in your area. You’ll probably find some pretty interesting ones, I certainly did!
One thing you can do to get started is to look at the iNat map. Zoom in to the area near where you live to see what other people have observed and where. You’ll get an idea of what local sites are promising - parks, beaches, ponds, riverbanks, empty lots, etc. Then go out and keep your eyes peeled. If you can go with a friend who has similar interests, so much the better; two pairs of eyes are better than one. And remember, most animals and many plants are small.
I wish inat was a thing before I went to uni. I might have majored a bit different (Done some entomology for example). As other have said, explore, try to find as many things as you can around you, and see what you vibe with. That way you might have more of a direction when you head into higher study.
Can you apply that to helping to ID ? Or to annotate – that is a good way of going thru many pictures of what interests you … till one obs leaps out at you, this one is NOT that taxon. I am currently working thru my own dumped in Kingdom Fungi, and realising I have gained some small knowledge to improve them here and there.
(the only clue on your profile is fish ? Not my taxon ;~)
Get outside and explore nature. Even if only in your own backyard or across the street. Learn where the nature preserves and parks are in your area and explore them if you can. Get your parent involved if you can and if you want. They are often willing to take you places to explore. Look close. So many people miss the really good stuff because they don’t look close. Take pictures if you can. Binoculars are often handy to have but not necessary. Do not get discouraged if you go out exploring and don’t find much right off the bat. The more you get out there the more luck you will have.
Explore the forum here and use the explore feature on iNaturalist. Use the community tab on iNaturalist to find projects in your area. Browse those and perhaps join a few. Look for young people projects in the same way.
Take biology classes in school if available…
Hi! 15 year old naturalist here!
I recommend finding what interests you the most and finding community in those niches! (Audubon chapters, botany clubs, herping events, etc)
I’ve used Inat to help with my ability to identify birds, I started out by looking at research grade observations in my area. That got me familiar with the creatures and comfortable enough to start identifying.
Of course just using the Inat forum helped me learn a lot about being a naturalist!
Anyway my favorite animal is the Pronghorn Antelope! (Or the wandering albatross)
Can you explain this please? Is there a word missing?
Is there a park near you that has a nature center with events like naturalist-led hikes? Go on them all and see what area you like. Talk to the naturalists. Show them your iNaturalist observations that you find in their park. While it is good to learn about the whole environment, you will eventually narrow down your interest to some specific group.