Well, you can't protect what you don't know about.
These records are checked by experts, often the Vice County Recorder for that taxon. If your record is correct, it will be verified. If not, the record will be either rejected or a photograph/additional information will be requested.
Importantly, verified records are added to the National Biodiversity Network's Gateway, which incorporates many datasets and houses 130,024,128 records itself. On a smaller scale, the records are free to anyone (apart from sensitive records) such as local Biological Records Centres and the RSPB (along with many others) and can be used to assist with things ranging from research, to conservation to planning permission.
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| iRecord Homepage showing recent sightings, recent photos, and a location map. |
But, it's not just organisations that have access to this important data. There's an interactive map and the ability to search via filters for folks like you and me.
What's great about this is that you can add records whenever you like. I hadn't added any since Noah was born because I didn't have the time or energy or motivation or... well you get the picture! But this week I've added over 80 records.
The only downside is that because you have to wait for a real person to check your records is can sometimes be many months before receiving an email that 'verifies' your record - but when it arrives, it feels great.
I can't stress how important I feel recording schemes like this are. If you want to help conserve the life around you, if you want to help with studies about your favourite species, if you want to make sure accurate data is known about your favourite wild space before a new housing estate is built over it; then join the 14,712 members of iRecord and get your sightings verified and available. It's quick, easy, and rewarding.
Thanks for reading.
Neat to hear you're an active citizen scientist too. This interesting post made me think about the differences between our situations. I get the feeling that you have much more of a community. I have the Laramie Mountains almost to myself when it comes to botanical reporting online. It's fun in some ways, but I rarely get anything verified, and I think few people check iNat for observations in this part of Wyoming.
ReplyDeleteWe have lots of wildlife surveys in the UK and that's how I got started with recording observations. I think there is a community in the UK, but I only get to see it on Facebook. We have some great websites where people help with ID and things like that, but there's not a great deal of emphasis on recording the observations of wildlife.
DeleteIt's sad to hear that there's so little in the way of verification or recording. Is it a country-wide issue or more localised? Either way - it's great that you're doing your iNat project and I hope it gets used more as more people get to know about it.
It's a local phenomenon. Wyoming has a small population and much of the state is rural, and even wild--not a bad thing! Other states in the western US are the same way. But some areas get more attention, like our National Parks. Funny thing, shortly after I wrote the previous comment someone verified one of my iNat observations :-)
DeleteThat's great news about the verified observation. I wish Britain was a bit more wild. Our Ordnance Survey make the best maps of our country and once said that the furthest in Britain you could get from a road is 7 miles.
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