[image] Need for more moth identifiers? Are there a few simple obvious shots which everyone should aim for on every moth? A simple infographic with bad line drawings of a pretend moth could be really helpful for that. (I’d love to have a cheat sheet on what to photograph for different types of or…

It seems to me the course wouldn’t (shouldn’t) be iNat specific. It would be more about how to photographically document taxa in a manner that supports science over art. As an amateur photographer, I’m as guilty as anyone else of wanting to make a pretty photograph. For the sake of iNat I try to get…

I think there are some guides on how to do this, but that it can be very clade-specific! There’s no general “right” way to photograph an organism to tell it from distinct related species. But in terms of a self-paced self-guided course, maybe a wiki is a good way to start? Here was an attempt: h…

Sounds like a great idea. I’d be excited to take a course like that. We could all use some pointers on how to help our observations facilitate more reliably accurate IDs and be more useful to the wider community.

This seems like something that might go along with the Seek app. It is already a somewhat gamified version of iNat. Perhaps some of your suggestions could help with future functionality of that app.

[image] AdamWargon: a free, self-guided iNat course on how to observe and photograph different taxa I have thought about this before and I do believe it is a good idea. The problem is, that a guide like this only really works if it achieves the right balance of detail and with how diverse lif…

I don’t know how feasible this is, but what I am picturing is something very basic. Like, not getting down into the weeds of what you really need to do in order to be able to identify every (or almost every species), but just giving it in extremely broad strokes. For example, for roses, it helps to…

[image] kevintoo: I also think such a course should indicate the type of equipment best suited to documenting various taxa. That could come across as erecting barriers for those with limited budgets. I would rather the course focus on optimizing the use of equipment that people are likely alr…

OK. I have a very limited budget. I’m all for optimizing the equipment I already have. How does that preclude me from recognizing what I am best able to document given what equipment I already have?

eBird has a free course like this, called EBird Essentials . Although that may be more about how to use the platform effectively rather than how to best collect data - the two are related though imo as part of using a citizen science platform effectively is learning how to make observations that are …

if those articles could be added to More Info on iNat’s Taxon page - they would be easier to find.

Should we create a free, self-guided iNat observer course? (thought experiment)

General

EscalanteSlim July 24, 2024, 1:44am 20

My plant photos improved dramatically when I started wearing knee pads while observing.

Topic		Replies	Views
Could iNaturalist better help observers use this as a forum for good plant ID (and other kingdoms), and less a place to just post their pretty flower pictures? General	39	2264	February 3, 2022
The Future of iNat: What Would You Like To See Improved? General	67	1500	April 1, 2026
Roles of taxonomic experts on iNat General	18	1912	August 18, 2020
Helping people make better observations -- a checklist General ambassador-program	49	1398	December 27, 2025
A Neophyte Guide to iNat Educators	24	925	July 9, 2025

Should we create a free, self-guided iNat observer course? (thought experiment)

Related topics