The iNaturalist app is a free tool for engaging with the world around us. It lets anyone snap a pic of a wild plant, animal, or fungi, and share it. But not everyone can ID the organism they found!

The iNaturalist community works together to identify observed wildlife down to the species level. Data like these are useful to ecology researchers, urban planners, park rangers, and more! This workshop will familiarize you with the iNaturalist species identification process, and the resources available to you for species identification.

We'll get to know the built-in iNaturalist tools for species identification, as well as the rich online and print resources available at UMass for field guides and species ID tools. Similar guides may be available at your local library. You'll leave the workshop having contributed to at least one species ID.

Second of two workshops to prepare attendees to participate in the international City Nature Challenge 2025 for the Western Mass region.