in several ways, first, has enhanced my English, but also, my has improved myself in other fields of the science, as Botany for example, which was a not fully developed in me, but I lately discovered.
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marine life is out of question for now as I live in the heart of my country (India) surrounded by urban forests hehe, I went to andaman (the land of exotic endemics and oddities and bonus dugongs) before I started and I had the absolute worst luck, only got about 90 smth observations over a week 
other than that I havent had any marine encounters
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my nikon coolpix P900 is famous for the zoom, but more than birds and the moon I snipe off butterflies from far far away with it XD
I used to be able to take pics of flying birds now I do feel very rusty
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Fair enough, I understand as I live in a landlocked country (Luxembourg), diving has become a more challenging hobby 
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iNaturalist has been a real help for my mental health. As someone dealing with the depressive aspects of complex PTSD, I find peace in nature photography. Even though I know most of what I photograph may not hold much interest for friends, family, or the general public, learning that my photos can still contribute something meaningful on iNat gives me a sense of purpose. It is a small but important win.
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Thank you for sharing this! It’s a powerful message.
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Agreed! Thanks for sharing. It is a great way to learn more about birds, especially as you plan a trip.
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I’m an 85-year-old retiree who moved to Costa Rica because of the abundance of nature, first focused on birds and reporting through eBird, then later discovered the joy of butterflies and added BAMONA to my reporting, then in 2024 I added iNaturalist and have a place for all of my nature photos. As I get close to the end of my life I have wondered what will happen to all those nature photos in my gallery. Gone for good! But now my nature photography and its statistical value can last forever! iNaturalist gives me a lot more purpose in my final years of life and I thank all of you identifiers and others who have encouraged me! I will keep it up as long as I can physically walk and hold a camera! 
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As a recent retiree, I find your comments inspiring. I hope I can keep up my nature observation and photography for another couple of decades. It’s the main activity that will keep me engaged and moving for as long as my body holds out!
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I am sure there should be more for Eighties ?
https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/poll-how-old-are-you-your-vote-is-not-public/60869
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I wanted to answer this 6 days ago when I first read it but I didn’t know how exactly.. so I thought about it. I agree with and relate with many sentiments here but I’m going to try to not get too personal and keep it short. Ive had a lot of philosophical muddling in recent years and I had found INat just over a month after my mother had passed.. I still feel lost at times but something she would remind me when I was overwhelmed was that I’m here now doing this. No matter when where or what embrace what is. INat gives a window into our interaction with a moment and allows us to share that - and that shared data has potential to teach with and learn from and I can be a part of that! I see and meet so many that are here now doing this and its one of the things that helps me feel a little less lost.
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I’m a botanist specializing in the plant genus Castilleja rather fanatically for over 35 years. This genus is found virtually throughout the western hemisphere and in northern Eurasian. While I’ve traveled extensively to observe the ca. 200 species in the wild, my finances and time make it impossible to travel everywhere. Over the years, I’ve obtained loans of herbarium specimens from other regions, but these are dried and pressed, and the colors very often fade completely or are altered by time. iNaturalist has opened an entirely new avenue for the study of organisms from around the world and is revolutionary in terms of understanding distributions, the characters of plants in the field, and even pollinators. I have described several new species based on material posted on this site, as well as gaining a more thorough knowledge of species distributions. There are, of course, “issues’, as with any resource, but I’m a big fan of the site and its potential for better understanding AND public appreciation of the importance of biodiversity and the wondrous forms of life that exist with us on this planet.
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I am a very amateur botanist who loves to identify new plants where ever I go. My main goal is to learn all the native plants in the area where I live: southeast Michigan. iNaturalist has helped me learn to identify so many plants. It isn’t always totally right but I always compare its recommendations with other sources, like Michigan Flora (https://michiganflora.net/). It is usually right.
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I can’t even begin to describe how much I like iNat and how it has helped me. I’ve always been interested in nature and observing, but I’m lousy at record-keeping and often don’t even know where to begin to identify what I see. When I discovered iNat (my biologist husband told me about it) it was amazing! It’s easy to record observations of all kinds of things (not just birds like eBird) and a couple of years ago, I discovered the Odonata. They have opened up a new world for me. I’ve been redoing the shallow end of our pond with plants to encourage more Odonates to reproduce nearby and I regularly visit our swamp and other bodies of water. I set myself with a goal to see all the species found in my county each year to update NC’s wonderful Odonata website (they gave me permissions to add records) with where different species can be found at least in Bladen County. I’ve never met my goal yet, but each year is a new year!
I found the exuvia from a Regal Darner at our pond and contributed it to a university as it was the first exuvia found from that species in NC! In 2024, I observed a Phantom Darner which was the first one found in NC for over 40 years (they were getting ready to list is as historical only).
Those things aren’t to brag but are to say: even an idiot like me who knows nothing can learn with tools like iNat and grow in unbelievable ways. I’ve joined the Dragonfly Society of the Americas (DSA) and written articles for the Argia newsletter published by the DSA. It’s like a new life since I retired!
I could never, ever have done any of this without iNat. I am prouder of what I’m doing via iNat than I’ve ever been with my previous 37 years of career/work experiences. It has allowed me to pursue and develop new interests, meet new people, and explore things that were never even on my radar before.
It’s an amazing tool!
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Over a year ago, I started using iNaturalist because of a homework assignment in my biology class. My professor asked us to take photos of different plant species. At the time, I was already working toward a degree in wildlife conservation, but before that assignment, I did not feel like I had a real way to participate in the field or contribute anything meaningful.
After completing the assignment, I kept exploring iNaturalist on my own and began documenting any animal I could observe and uploading those observations. I had previous experience raising painted lady butterflies, which sparked my interest in species identification. That interest quickly grew, and I have since expanded my ability to identify many different butterfly species. IDing is now my primary focus on iNaturalist, and it has become one of my favorite ways to engage with the community.
Because of iNaturalist, I have purchased multiple field guides and identification books for birds and butterflies, and I have even invested in camera equipment to improve the quality of my observations. iNaturalist has helped me learn about countless species, how to properly document observations, and how to identify organisms, all skills that are essential for my major. I absolutely love iNaturalist because it gives me a meaningful way to contribute to the scientific community.
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That is a really cool story! Thank you for your contributions to iNat, and welcome to the forum!
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Just wanted to say I honestly didn’t expect this many replies. It’s been really awesome reading through everyone’s stories and seeing all the different ways iNat has helped people. Thanks for sharing, everyone!
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It has helped launched my career as a bona fide, published entomologist, rather than simply an agricultural pest controller. I started out just uploading insects I bumped into in the course of my work in a remote part of the world, and this got a lot of people very interested because I was covering a very underrepresented region, all year round.
The ID skills came quickly, and then exploring taxonomic groups of the many insects I was uploading (even if the initial focus was pests) meant that I was developing more as a generalist, rather than a specialist, which would be the more usual route for someone going through tertiary education and an academic career as an insect taxonomist.
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Do you want to tell us what your publication is, or are?
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Sure, this is one - https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.829254717816847 I am the discoverer of this species. It is now on iNat.
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