# Observations from areas under restoration

**URL:** <https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/observations-from-areas-under-restoration/6418>\
**Category:** General\
**Created:** [September 10, 2019, 4:56pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/observations-from-areas-under-restoration/6418 "2019-09-10T16:56:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 2

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**Author:** ![bouteloua](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/bouteloua/32/1180_2.png) [@bouteloua](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/bouteloua)\
**Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 5:19pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/observations-from-areas-under-restoration/6418/2 "2019-09-10T17:19:53Z")

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Hi Scott, definitely a common question! Restoration projects are one of the many gray areas that fall inbetween “wild” and “not wild” (or captive/cultivated or not captive/cultivated) under iNaturalist’s classification.

Technically in iNaturalist’s system, the original planted/seeded plants would be _not wild_ and their offspring would be _wild_. But good luck figuring that out :) so you will find that most people tend to mark all the plants in restoration areas as _wild_ unless it appears obviously planted. Planted trees and shrubs are a bit easier to tell, but seeded species are very difficult to assess. In my area, extensive seeding/planting goes on even in remnant natural areas, so it’s often impossible to assess whether something is autochthonous to the site/sprang up on its own, or was broadcast by a restoration volunteer or other land manager.

This topic has been extensively discussed on the forum, so I’m going to close it and direct you to [the FAQ answer for this popular question](https://www.inaturalist.org/pages/help#captive) as well as some of those previous discussions.

If you do have further questions feel free to open up a related topic, send me a message, or even create a feature request if there’s something about the current system that you think could be improved. Thanks!

Here are a few related topics:

- [Establishment Rating for Plants](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/establishment-rating-for-plants/5736)
- [Are reintroduced animals wild?](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/are-reintroduced-animals-wild/6334)
- [The category of “cultivated” is problematic for plants in urban landscapes](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/the-category-of-cultivated-is-problematic-for-plants-in-urban-landscapes/2317/8)
- [Add a flag for translocated wild specimens](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/add-a-flag-for-translocated-wild-specimens/4712/3)
- [At what point does an anthropogenic introduction become wild?](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/at-what-point-does-an-anthropogenic-introduction-become-wild/2221)
- [Rename “Research Grade”? (discussion and polls)](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/rename-research-grade-discussion-and-polls/590/42)
- [Park plants - captive or wild?](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/park-plants-captive-or-wild/4862)
- [Request for better description of “cultivated/captive”](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/request-for-better-description-of-cultivated-captive/2871)
- [Are trees/bushes in ancient hedgerow “cultivated”?](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/are-trees-bushes-in-ancient-hedgerow-cultivated/2617)

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