“Sharing cool wildlife sightings has become an important component of citizen science efforts. We post wildlife photos on iNaturalist , we participate in backyard bird counts, you report unusual sightings to wildlife agencies. These activities can play important roles in conservation, enabling resear…

I don’t really find any rare species, and I trust the iNat community to not go killing chickadees and frogs because they pose a danger to pets. I am nowhere near the professional level of most people here, and finding rare rainforest species of epiphyte doesn’t really apply to me. If I were ever in …

[image] walkingwithnature96: only post plant observations to iNat Plants are also poached. We have a HUGE problem around our rare succulents (and lizards and beetles)

I have seen signs at wildlife refuges: Do not pick plants; do not dig up plants; do not take sphagnum; area is under 24/7 camera surveillance; do not step off path; no walking on bog; no picking of flowers; etc.

Oh no! I’d never thought of that, what a shame! I’ll remember that in future and only upload really common ones. Thank you for letting me know x

Really?! Man! If you knew about how crazy are orchid fanciers (at least here). Walking around Mexican neighbourhoods (including mine) I’ve seen many times houses with native orchids and bromeliads. And even worse, some use the excuse that orchids kill trees (which is false) to mercilessly end with t…

Diana’s reply in the previous thread is relevant here: [image] Problematic behavior related to posts The saddest part of that is that the orchids likely won’t survive in cultivation. Once removed from the pollinators that serve them, they can no longer set seeds.

Although many orchids self-pollinate, though, and sometimes the pollinators are still present at their new, urban settings. But many orchids require very specific habitats which are very far away from their new location.

We have oil pollinating bees - plant and pollinator are an unusual pair - LONG tongues and flower tubes.

It would be difficult to pollinate the flowers in cultivation, without the bee. And the wild bees will lack the food they evolved with.

Oh, yeah, but sometimes, urban areas are lucky enough to still hold the specific pollinators of many orchids in case the orchid was robbed (like carpenter bees and orchid bees as you say). I’m not defending orchid fanciers, though.

Wildlife Sightings: Share or Stay Quiet?

Nature Talk

AdamWargon September 16, 2024, 5:49pm 46

Diana’s reply in the previous thread is relevant here:

Topic		Replies	Views
Plant poaching in my area Nature Talk	23	836	August 11, 2025
Is it ever ok to upload Endangered Species? General question	43	4300	January 29, 2024
Safety Of Posting Locations On iNaturalist General	41	1553	October 15, 2025
Danger of locations on iNaturalist General	21	5732	November 25, 2019
iNat apprehension from land managers General question	51	4869	June 17, 2019

Wildlife Sightings: Share or Stay Quiet?

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