Hi all,
I am aware that a lot of discussion has been done around this topic but I do not find my question answered.
Basically, I want to participate in the City Challenge but my city uses another inaturalist associated network (this being natusfera). I thought to change my affiliation to natusfera as it is a partner side. However I have been discouraged by the layout of that other site and the much lesser activity over there. On the other hand it says on the inaturalist website that my login would work on any affiliated website and natusfera is listed there. However, that does not seem to be the case, at least I cannot login.
So I guess my question is: How interlinked are both sites really? Is it possible to join the event from the same account somehow? Or would I be forced to open another account over there to participate?
Thanks a lot
The same account should absolutely work. As far as I know the network affiliations are just iNaturalist.org with different languages and such, it is still the same site but looks different. As for your login not working, someone more experienced could probably troubleshoot.
Natusfera doesn’t appear to be a part of the iNaturalist network (see https://www.inaturalist.org/sites/network), so I don’t think that your login would work. Looking at their about page, it seems like Natusfera is some sort of adaptation of iNaturalist, but not an affiliate.
Confusingly, Natusfera currently exists in a dual state: 1) an entirely separate platform that uses an older version of iNaturalist’s open source software and 2) an “unofficial” member of the iNaturalist Network that is fully integrated with iNaturalist.
For the City Nature Challenge, I assume using the Natusfera platform means the separate one (https://natusfera.gbif.es/), but I encourage you to contact your city’s organizers for clarity.
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Thanks a lot Carrie, that indeed works. A pity they use the not connected one.
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Thank you @carrieseltzer for your explanation. We will try to add some more backgroud information to answer @tnaturalist question.
GBIF Spain and its host institution (National Research Council, CSIC) is a member of the iNaturalist network and is supporting the thriving iNaturalist community in Spain (e.g. more than 30 Spanish cities are participating in the CNC using spain.inaturalist.org site this year - https://spain.inaturalist.org/projects/biomaraton-cnc-espana-2021).
We started as an independent community a few years ago using old iNaturalist code and naming our platform Natusfera. When we joined the iNaturalist global network last year, we decided to maintain “Natusfera” as the name for the Spanish iNaturalist Community. However, a former partner in this endeavour insisted in maintaining the old and independent platform under the same name, and that is creating the confusion.
We are maintaining the link to the old codebase Natusfera (should have been closed time ago but the day is being postponed over and over again) as a gesture towards our old partners. We are waiting to solve this situation before officially launching the Spanish iNaturalist site.
We much regret this confusing situation.
The Spain.iNaturalist (the new Natusfera) team. GBIF-Spain/CSIC
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Thanks a lot Cristina, that explains everything. In the meantime I will probably attend the bioblitz in a city very close that uses the inaturalist platform. :)
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Happy to hear it is clearer now despite of the confusing situation… We will keep you informed if there are any changes.
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