OK, I need some bucking up, some cheering on, some hope that there is an end to all this identifying.
(I do know that last request is never going to happen, however!)
So, it’s the time of year here in New England in the USA where my thoughts turn from “where can I hike today?” to “let’s tackle identifications today,” if only because it is cold and wet and gray outside. But even though I’ve made over 30,000 IDs in my three years on iNat, I feel like I’ve barely made a dent. I wander all over the place, metaphorically, in my IDing: I look at the new observations for my area. I look at random days in the past. I join in on various group efforts like #IdentiFriday and ID bingo. I pick a common and easy plant to ID (something like Marsh Marigold or Chicory or Sweet-Fern) and push every observation in New England (and sometimes beyond) as far along as I can. I label the endless stream of completely un-IDed mushrooms as Fungi (or something better, if iNat has an ID it’s reasonably confident in). Etc., etc.
But I’m discouraged. Maybe I should go for a walk today, even if it is cold and wet and gray?