There’s an app?
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Great point. I am in a similar situation where I am constantly seeking IDs and I realized that, in addition to being patient, I have to just improve my ability to help ID my own as well as others. And it really has me thinking about (and working towards) how to get more young people excited about nature and, specifically, invertebrates.
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This, exactly. I keep progressing slowly within the iNat community because I have been patient, and I love nature, but especially because I have thick skin. Many others I have introduced to the platform are intimated because they aren’t scientists or even “amateur naturalists”…
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No one should feel intimidated, that is truly unfortunate. iNaturalist is for everyone, regardless of ability or level or knowledge or age or qualification or… anything!
New users should feel free to make observations with the limited starting knowledge that they have about iNat, and be constructively guided towards best observation practise through engagement with the community. This in turn fosters community growth and engagement, which is very much “on-mission”.
Agreeing to identifications, particularly when one is not sure of the ID, can be considered problematic, but in many cases it is beneficial. Being “active” in the identification space raises their confidence, and the new identifier will go on to expand their knowledge greatly through further engagement with those that know the taxa well. My own guidance that I give new users, is that if they think they will be around and active for a long time, then feel free to ID as you perceive them to be, even if that is a very loose concept that is largely built from the minimal input of an expert (ie most new user “agree” IDs made!). But if you are only going to be around for a short time, or if you are likely to be minimally engaged in iNat, then perhaps reserve making identifications for situations where you have a strong concept of the taxon. But even then, I would rather they have a go and become active members, than hold back and fade away…
[edit: now I can’t get the image of “the Kurgan on a bioblitz” out of my head…]
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Recently a botanist worked back thru a bunch of old obs, had that wrong. Raised lots of discussion. And I carefully withdrew all mine. I will wait till they have decided which is who, before I try that taxon again.
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