iNaturalist Canada

iNaturalist.ca and the iNaturalist app empower people across Canada to play a direct role in tracking and understanding biodiversity. Every observation shared helps build one of the country's most valuable wildlife datasets, providing researchers, conservationists and decision-makers with real-time information on species distribution, abundance and environmental change. By turning everyday nature enthusiasts into citizen scientists, iNaturalist is creating a nationwide network of observers whose collective contributions are helping monitor wildlife, detect emerging threats and inform conservation action from coast to coast to coast. 

The fact is, iNaturalist doesn’t work without you! Any time you’re connecting with nature is an opportunity to track the biodiversity all around you.  By simply snapping a picture or making a sound recording, anyone with a mobile device or digital camera can contribute to a growing wealth of knowledge about Canadian biodiversity and help conserve our natural world.

The discoveries made by the community are available to all Canadians to foster an understanding and appreciation of the wealth of biodiversity just outside our door. iNaturalist.ca is a tool that makes it easy to learn. Not sure what that odd looking insect is? iNaturalist can instantly identify more than 100,000 species…and it’s amazingly accurate. Observations are then reviewed by experts in the iNaturalist community to help confirm the identification. You can look up what species have been seen nearby and keep track of all your sightings with your personal species list.

With the help of hundreds of thousands of amazing contributors, we are building a living record of biodiversity in Canada. This valuable data ends up in the hands of decision-makers, teachers and academics to further the cause of conserving our wildlife and inspiring our youth and communities to do the same.  Who knows, you might find exciting observations like these:

• Illinois Tick-Trefoil – this nationally extinct plant was rediscovered in Canada by an iNaturalist observer, originally who assumed it was the common variety of Trefoil. Thanks to expert identifiers in the iNaturalist community, it was confirmed to be a plant that hadn't been seen in more than 40 years.  Press release >
• Steller’s Jay x Blue Jay – the only observation on iNaturalist in the entire world of this extremely rare hybrid between these two species was found right here in BC. And no, it was not found by an iNaturalist super user or expert. It was simply someone who was curious and has just a handful of observations. 
• Trigonodemus fasciatus – this rare (pretty but otherwise non-descript) beetle was found in North Vancouver by an observer who had no idea it was noteworthy. Experts confirmed it to be the only observation on iNaturalist in the world. 

Become part of a movement dedicated to tracking biodiversity right across Canada through use of the iNaturalist Canada platform. Head to iNaturalist.ca to register or download the free app on your favourite mobile device to create your account. Once you’ve signed up, simply join the CWF Observation Nation project. Then use iNaturalist to upload your observations of nature or use your knowledge to identify species. You’ll become an instant contributor to our CWF Observation Nation initiative.

You could win prizes for observing and identifying species being uploaded to the CWF Observation Nation project. Be part of an ever-increasing push by wildlife enthusiasts to track Canada’s natural diversity coast to coast to coast! Join CWF Observation Nation today.

• A 2019 study found 52 per cent of Canadian conservation programs that participate in policy assessments use citizen science data, with iNaturalist being one of the most cited platforms. Learn more at "ScienceDirect" >
• There have been millions of observations in Canada documenting tens of thousands of different species!
• The first ever recorded finding of the European Firebug in Canada was made using iNaturalist.ca.
• iNaturalist Canada boasts the most northern observation in the world — Fjaeldmark Dwarf Weaver spider!
• The Monarch Butterfly (an Endangered species in Canada) is one of the most observed species on iNaturalist.ca (this list includes the Grey Squirrel, the Mallard Duck and the Canada Goose).
• A new Canadian species of moth was discovered.
• New species to Canada was identified via iNaturalist.ca.
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When you use iNaturalist Canada, you're connected with a community of scientists and naturalists who can help you learn more about wildlife around you! What’s more, by recording and sharing your verified observations, you create research quality data for scientists working to better understand and protect nature.

If you're not sure where to start on your journey with iNaturalist Canada, take a walk down our pathway that helps direct you on your iNaturalist Canada journey.

"Working with the folks at iNaturalist.org, I've been the lead at the Canadian Wildlife Federation in the creation of iNaturalist.ca, along with our partners at the Royal Ontario Museum, Parks Canada and NatureServe Canada. I work on various species at risk and biodiversity projects at CWF, including turtle recovery work, rare (mostly plant) species surveys, citizen science and years ago got my feet wet (literally and figuratively) with vegetation surveys in eastern Ontario. I know a little about a little when compared to the vast number of species we have in this country! But I love getting out to explore and expand my knowledge as often as I can.

I’m so inspired by the number of Canadians exploring our vast country to build an ever-growing account of biodiversity in Canada. From beginners to experts, young and old, together we’re able to accomplish something scientists could never have done on their own.”