Hi, I’m Mike. I recently downloaded the app, wanting to use it to help me identify plants on my property. I was also planning on using this to help manage it, as in what I should plant, anything I should get rid of, stuff like that. I want to be responsible, and plant native stuff, and take out anything invasive if I need to. However, after reading through some guidelines and stickies, it seems I’m in the wrong place. I’m new to the app and website, but that also doesn’t seem to have a forum like area for discussion, although I did see that I could messege other users. Can someone point me in the right direction? Maybe I’m missing something in the app. Thank you.
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You can bring those questions here to the forum.
But you would first need to tell us where you are.
If your garden is near a nature reserve - they may have a project on iNat.
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Thanks. I am in Windfall, Indiana. There are no reserves anywhere around. I’ve been using indiananativeplants.org and Prarie Nursery to pick new stuff to plant, but I think there’s a bit more to it than what I know. Is there a specific area I should post in? I’m thinking of having just one thread for this ongoing project. This seems like a place for more professional discussions, so I’ll just stay in my little corner, if that’s ok.
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There are all sorts of discussions on the Forums, some professional, others very much not so. But in answer to your question: no, I do not think that the app has Forum functionality; the Forums are technically a separate entity from iNaturalist itself.
I’ll look around in a bit and try to find a spot to post in. Thanks.
You could do a journal post on your inaturalist.org account (not available in the app) and hope that people comment. However it’s highly unlikely any one will comment unless you actively tag them with a question.
Can you elaborate? What specifically were you hoping for that you’re not finding?
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Copied from the sticky in the General Section. I took that to include personal projects. I was getting the feeling this is for people more dedicated (not sure that’s the right word for my point) to nature and wildlife. As in, someone with a related career, a hobbyist who regularly participates in related activities and discussions, or maybe someone with the intent to support conservation or the scientific community. While I do have some interest in this stuff, it only extends to some reading and what I can do on my property. I want more plants, and want my landscaping projects to benefit nature as much as I can on my limited space. I’m not knowledgeable,
and will need help with identification and recomendations for what I should or shouldn’t plant. I’ll use the app, but would hate to tear something out that just looked similar to an invasive species. Long answer to a short question.
Probably doesn’t help that I’m on a nature forum, and don’t understand a lot of what I’m reading. The few threads I’ve read have a level of info that goes right over my head.
“Promote projects” refers to topics like “join my project” or “fill out this survey for me” or “sign my petition” where the goal is just promotion rather than a discussion.
Important note, even if iNat’s computer vision or the community identifies something correctly - iNaturalist does not list whether or not a plant is invasive. It only lists whether it is native/non-native (and even that database is not fully complete). There is an important distinction as most non-native plants are not invasive and removing some can cause more harm than good in certain scenarios (e.g. excessive soil disturbance).
While posting topics about managing your property in a nature-friendly way to Nature Talk is fine, you might also look for a Wild Ones or native plant society social media group to find people with expertise for your area.
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Thanks. I’ll look into that before starting a thread.
Welcome, @mikeschinlaub! I’m originally from a bit south of you; other side of the Ohio in Louisville.
I don’t know what specific kinds of reserves you were looking for, but there are a few resources that I can point you towards.
Purdue has county extension offices, including one specifically for Tipton County. There’s a bunch of information on the site, and in the archived newsletters.
I don’t know how far you can travel, but there are state parks not too far off from you; Mounds, Summit Lake, and Fort Harrison appear to be the three closest. Park staff are usually really happy to talk to someone who’s interested in re-creating habitat in their area, and they can give you some pointers on what to look for. Closer to home, I found a couple of good possibilities just up the road a piece: Kirkendall Nature Center, Jackson Morrow Park, and the Ferguson Nature Preserve.
Now—iNat’s focus is not for what you’re doing, that’s true. But, there’s a continuum of users here. You said:
I would guess that only a fraction (maybe a noticible one, but still) of the people here are professionals. Most are hobbyists of one stripe or another. Can it turn into something more? Sure. But there’s no requirement for that.
What we all have in common is a love of nature, and a desire to be out in it, combined with a desire to document cool things that we’ve seen.
There are people here who travel the globe. There are people who make all of their observations in their yards. There are people who study the intricate relationship between butterflies and their larval host and preferred adult nectar plants. There are people who point the camera at something while saying “hey, I’ve never seen one of those before!” (Full disclosure: I tend to be one of the second type.) I guess what I’m saying, in a long winded way, is that you’re not in the wrong place. It might not be quite what you expected, but I don’t think it’s the wrong place. 
My suggestion? Start slow. Poke around your yard, look for things that you didn’t plant, and whatever kinds of creatures are coming to visit. Document those. Think about what you want to see eventually: birds? Native bees? Butterflies? A mix of everything that used to call the area home? That will help you make decisions on what to plant. Roam around on the park trails; see what’s there and what they’re attracted to.
I’m kind of rusty on Southeastern flora and fauna, but I’ll keep an eye out for your posted observations.
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Thanks@GothHobbit. I wasn’t looking for reserves, that was a suggestion from dianastuder if I was near one. As far as travel, I’m probably the biggest hermit on the planet. It’s not so much that I can’t, I’m just perfectly happy to stay in my cave. I’ll check out the Purdue link. It looks like I’ll be starting my own thread then.