# How long does it take to populate a new place? **URL:** \ **Category:** General\ **Created:** [February 20, 2020, 12:53pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/how-long-does-it-take-to-populate-a-new-place/10298 "2020-02-20T12:53:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![joaolemoslima](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/joaolemoslima/32/13728_2.png) [@joaolemoslima](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/joaolemoslima)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2020, 12:53pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/how-long-does-it-take-to-populate-a-new-place/10298/1 "2020-02-20T12:53:26Z")
I’ve created a couple new places, regarding the public parks of my city. Some of them have no observations at all, so it is normal that they are empty. But other have observations made before the creation of the place. These observations are not showing up on the observations tab, neither on the species tab of the place. Does anyone know how long does it take to fill these tabs? Do older observations get included on the place’s list? ---
**Author:** ![draposo79](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/draposo79/32/3888_2.png) [@draposo79](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/draposo79)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2020, 1:40pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/how-long-does-it-take-to-populate-a-new-place/10298/2 "2020-02-20T13:40:42Z")
If the accuracy circle crosses the border line of the place, the observation will not be included on the observations tab for that place. Could it be the case? ---
**Author:** ![mmcmasters](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/mmcmasters/32/3193_2.png) [@mmcmasters](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/mmcmasters)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2020, 2:52pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/how-long-does-it-take-to-populate-a-new-place/10298/3 "2020-02-20T14:52:44Z")
I’ve created a couple of places in the last month or so, and they aren’t populating the way they used to. It used to be that it would take a few hours, but in these two places, things only populated after they were observed again. So say user XYZ observed something in December and I created the place in January and made an observation of that same organism in February. After that observation was confirmed, the organism now populates on the main place page, with user XYZ correctly identified as the first observer. (This place is an example: [https://www.inaturalist.org/places/harns-marsh](https://www.inaturalist.org/places/harns-marsh)) I remember reading that the place function is taxing on the servers, but it’s one of my favorite features of the site so I’m hoping this is just a temporary glitch. (This might belong in the Bug Reports section–not sure!) ---
**Author:** ![joaolemoslima](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/joaolemoslima/32/13728_2.png) [@joaolemoslima](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/joaolemoslima)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2020, 3:07pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/how-long-does-it-take-to-populate-a-new-place/10298/4 "2020-02-20T15:07:42Z")
No, that’s not the case. All the observations I’m talking about are contained inside the place boundary. I do believe it may be something like what was reffered by @mmcmasters ---
**Author:** ![joaolemoslima](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/joaolemoslima/32/13728_2.png) [@joaolemoslima](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/joaolemoslima)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2020, 3:13pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/how-long-does-it-take-to-populate-a-new-place/10298/5 "2020-02-20T15:13:52Z")
This is one of the places where I noticed this issue: [https://www.inaturalist.org/places/parque-da-pasteleira](https://www.inaturalist.org/places/parque-da-pasteleira). Last year, I’ve observed european starlings there and registered the observation ([https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/20762959](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/20762959)). I created the place 2 days ago, and then added some recent observations (like these ones: [https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/38832138](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/38832138) [https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/38831434](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/38831434)). These recent observations are displayed on the “observations” tab of the place, but the older ones aren’t. What you’re saying is that I need to observe those species again at that place for them to be displayed on the place page? ---
**Author:** ![janetwright](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/janetwright/32/519_2.png) [@janetwright](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/janetwright)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2020, 3:24pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/how-long-does-it-take-to-populate-a-new-place/10298/6 "2020-02-20T15:24:51Z")
That’s strange. I agree the starlings should show up in your “place.” Their accuracy bubble is entirely inside the park. ---
**Author:** ![mmcmasters](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/mmcmasters/32/3193_2.png) [@mmcmasters](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/mmcmasters)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2020, 9:44pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/how-long-does-it-take-to-populate-a-new-place/10298/7 "2020-02-20T21:44:52Z")
I don’t think you’re supposed to have to observe them again for them to show up; it never worked that way until the last few weeks, at least in my experience. Not sure why that’s happening at the moment. ---
**Author:** ![kiwifergus](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/kiwifergus/32/1904_2.png) [@kiwifergus](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/kiwifergus)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2020, 10:43pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/how-long-does-it-take-to-populate-a-new-place/10298/8 "2020-02-20T22:43:13Z")
It could be an indexing thing. If you went and “nudged” the older observation, such as putting an ID on it, then it might re-index and show up in the place. Worth trying to at least rule out that possibility! ---
**Author:** ![joaolemoslima](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/joaolemoslima/32/13728_2.png) [@joaolemoslima](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/joaolemoslima)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2020, 12:02am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/how-long-does-it-take-to-populate-a-new-place/10298/9 "2020-02-21T00:02:32Z")
Sorry, I didnt understand what you meant. You’re sugesting going to those “missing” observations and ID them again? ---
**Author:** ![kiwifergus](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/kiwifergus/32/1904_2.png) [@kiwifergus](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/kiwifergus)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2020, 12:12am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/how-long-does-it-take-to-populate-a-new-place/10298/10 "2020-02-21T00:12:19Z")
yes, or some other “change” like marking and clearing a DQA setting. Might not work, but give it a try ---
**Author:** ![joaolemoslima](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/joaolemoslima/32/13728_2.png) [@joaolemoslima](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/joaolemoslima)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2020, 10:24am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/how-long-does-it-take-to-populate-a-new-place/10298/11 "2020-02-21T10:24:48Z")
It seems to have worked for myown observations, but not for other people’s observations. I really wish that this thing would be fixed, the “place” feature of iNaturalist is one of my favourites ---
**Author:** ![tiwane](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/tiwane/32/54612_2.png) [@tiwane](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/tiwane)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2020, 4:17pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/how-long-does-it-take-to-populate-a-new-place/10298/12 "2020-02-21T16:17:36Z")
> [@draposo79](#): > > If the accuracy circle crosses the border line of the place Slight clarification: it’s not the border line of a place, but the “bounding box” - which is the (invisible) rectangle that inscribes the entire boundary. [https://www.inaturalist.org/pages/help#placeindex](https://www.inaturalist.org/pages/help#placeindex) ---
**Author:** ![kiwifergus](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/kiwifergus/32/1904_2.png) [@kiwifergus](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/kiwifergus)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2020, 11:11pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/how-long-does-it-take-to-populate-a-new-place/10298/13 "2020-02-21T23:11:13Z")
Can I have something clarified about that? If an observation is at a GPS location well within the bounds of the place, but has an uncertainty circle that could **potentially** put it outside the inscribing rectangle, then it is not shown for the project. That is pretty much how I understood it to work. What about the case where the GPS location is **outside** the drawn boundary for the place, but the uncertainty circle doesn’t go outside the inscribing rectangle? Are these observations included or excluded? ---
**Author:** ![tiwane](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/tiwane/32/54612_2.png) [@tiwane](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/tiwane)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2020, 11:58pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/how-long-does-it-take-to-populate-a-new-place/10298/14 "2020-02-21T23:58:24Z")
It _should_ only work if a) the coordinates are inside of the place boundary and b) the uncertainty circle does not break the bounding box of the place. If you’re seeing something different, please let us know. ---
**Author:** ![joaolemoslima](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/joaolemoslima/32/13728_2.png) [@joaolemoslima](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/joaolemoslima)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2020, 1:19pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/how-long-does-it-take-to-populate-a-new-place/10298/15 "2020-02-25T13:19:34Z")
What about endangered species with obscured coordinates? They don’t show up on the species/observations tabs in order to protect the species? ---
**Author:** ![tiwane](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/tiwane/32/54612_2.png) [@tiwane](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/tiwane)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2020, 6:48pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/how-long-does-it-take-to-populate-a-new-place/10298/16 "2020-02-25T18:48:40Z")
For smaller places, yes. The obscuration rectangle is treated the the same an the uncertainty circle is. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/inaturalist/original/2X/7/7831452cf7f0d653ff1ffd34176334b7ef1b6a17.png) [@system](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/system)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2020, 6:48pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/how-long-does-it-take-to-populate-a-new-place/10298/17 "2020-04-25T18:48:42Z")
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