Is there a way for a natural reserve to officially obscure each observation that fells into it’s territory?
If so what that institution needs for it to be accomplished?
If anyone can do it how is it done?
There is no way to obscure other users’ observations based on their location (as far as I know).
In my opinion, the observation data/photos belong to the users themselves, so it would be very problematic for some other entity to be allowed to determine what users can/cannot post based solely on the location.
The iNaturalist system does allow for automatic obscuring of observations based on their taxon. If there are specific taxa that you are concerned about that you think should be obscured but aren’t, you can raise flags on their taxon pages on iNaturalist.org and explain your reasoning, provide sources, etc., and curators can consider obscuring.
5 Likes
There is no system to do that and I’m glad it is so, nobody should force obscuration on your observations unless they belong to endangered species. Plus it’d make it useless to upload such observations, they wouldn’t get to any project based on place.
3 Likes
I am talking about a place where you cannot enter without permission. Entering without permision is forbbiden and can lead to legal consequences.
If anyone uploads an observation from an edible mushroom or something else inside this place it could encourage people entering by his own means for example.
I think that is a specific enough condition to make it happen. But it is just an opinion.
Thank you for your quick respose!
1 Like
iNaturalist isn’t really in the business of enforcing laws/determining illegal activity. You could certainly forward a link to the observation to relevant law enforcement or authorities if you think that is beneficial. You could also leave a polite comment on the observation noting that it is in an protected area which might discourage other users from going there.
6 Likes
Yeah i think this is an awful idea. There are huge expanses of ‘private’ land in many countries where people can’t go without permission. Trying to track what land is accessible to the public, and blocking observations elsewhere, is both impossible and just a bad idea. Also anyone posting observations while trespassing are making poor decisions as they set themselves up for legal ramifications. Instead I’d encourage this preserve to have staff make iNat observations of more common species, to increase public awareness and appreciation of this resource. Note in each one that the land is private/not accessible to the public, in the comments. That way there might be less motivation to trespass than a blank spot on the map, and the ‘preserve’ can also help contribute to biodiversity knowledge, instead of hiding it in a black hole where who knows what is going on. Most such preserves are either owned by governments or NGOs, either way relying on money from people who don’t work or go there, so accountability is important.
5 Likes
Deleted post because I felt it didn’t really add anything new.
1 Like
This topic was automatically closed 60 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.