This app has already been around for three years but I only just learned of it. It’s cool.

iNaturalist.org is a place where you can record what you see in nature, meet other nature lovers, and learn about the natural world.

From hikers to hunters, birders to beach-combers, the world is filled with naturalists, and many of us record what we find. What if all those observations could be shared online? You might discover someone who finds beautiful wildflowers at your favorite birding spot, or learn about the birds you see on the way to work. If enough people recorded their observations, it would be like a living record of life on Earth that scientists and land managers could use to monitor changes in biodiversity, and that anyone could use to learn more about nature.

1
Record your observations
2
Share with fellow naturalists
3
Discuss your findings

https://www.inaturalist.org/pages/seek_app

Also the citizen science site:

http://natureshare.org.au/

Well that was completely different to what I thought it would be.

sibeen said:

Well that was completely different to what I thought it would be.

just about to get your gear off and post a few selfies?

You might be thinking of naturists.

But what would I know about such things?

buffy said:

You might be thinking of naturists.

But what would I know about such things?

coming from someone called buffy…..

;-)

I admit I had the same thought, should I google for that app or not……

Tried it on a couple of shrubs.. it got the easy one

Hmmm

Ian said:

Tried it on a couple of shrubs.. it got the easy one

Hmmm

It’s an ongoing project. If you know what it is, tag that and add to the collective knowledge.

dv said:

Ian said:

Tried it on a couple of shrubs.. it got the easy one

Hmmm

It’s an ongoing project. If you know what it is, tag that and add to the collective knowledge.

Same thing, but closer to home.

https://www.ala.org.au/

PermeateFree said:

dv said:

Ian said:

Tried it on a couple of shrubs.. it got the easy one

Hmmm

It’s an ongoing project. If you know what it is, tag that and add to the collective knowledge.

Same thing, but closer to home.

https://www.ala.org.au/

I found nature share an easier interface. But I haven’t done anything for a while.

buffy said:

PermeateFree said:

dv said:

It’s an ongoing project. If you know what it is, tag that and add to the collective knowledge.

Same thing, but closer to home.

https://www.ala.org.au/

I found nature share an easier interface. But I haven’t done anything for a while.

Yes very good, but I think for Victoria only.

Oh, is it? I didn’t realize that. Which I guess I should have, as it has a map at the top of the page. As I recall, the stuff you put there goes to ALA anyway. Eventually. My memory is a bit vague. I went to a session last year on citizen science when I went to a Field Naturalists seminar. I’ve been involved in Fungimap in an on and off way for years, so I had a general idea how those things worked.

PermeateFree said:

dv said:

Ian said:

Tried it on a couple of shrubs.. it got the easy one

Hmmm

It’s an ongoing project. If you know what it is, tag that and add to the collective knowledge.

Same thing, but closer to home.

https://www.ala.org.au/

Pretty sure a global project can’t be closer to home.

dv said:

PermeateFree said:

dv said:

It’s an ongoing project. If you know what it is, tag that and add to the collective knowledge.

Same thing, but closer to home.

https://www.ala.org.au/

Pretty sure a global project can’t be closer to home.

Nature is a very large subject involving millions of species and as such can be very confusing. If you lived in Victoria the link buffy recommended would give far more information as it would cover only the local species.

dv said:

PermeateFree said:

dv said:

It’s an ongoing project. If you know what it is, tag that and add to the collective knowledge.

Same thing, but closer to home.

https://www.ala.org.au/

Pretty sure a global project can’t be closer to home.

Though I suppose it could if you live off-Earth. (ponders)

dv said:

dv said:

PermeateFree said:

Same thing, but closer to home.

https://www.ala.org.au/

Pretty sure a global project can’t be closer to home.

Though I suppose it could if you live off-Earth. (ponders)

Think you miss the point.

LPITW … Nature Share has about 20000 observations.

iNaturalist has 200000 observations in Australia alone.

dv said:

LPITW … Nature Share has about 20000 observations.

iNaturalist has 200000 observations in Australia alone.

Australia is a little larger than Victoria. However, the Victorian Nature share consists of many, many local sighting from nature clubs and groups. These people have an interest in their home area, with few wishing to know what is happening in the rest of the world, hence they will do a more thorough job and with more dedication for the benefit of their group or location. This dedication rarely extends to doing it for someone overseas who usually has no more than general amusement of viewing attractive photographs.

Anyone can make observations and with something like iNaturalist with less dedicated and experienced observers, they are likely to be highly repetitive and commonly misidentified. Keen Naturalists have a special interest in their local community and are more than occupied by that than looking for personal acclaim overseas, or just in the hope of someone studying a flora/fauna family in say the UK may have a look at their collection. There are some people prepared to do all this extra work for little return, but not many.

dv said:

Ian said:

Tried it on a couple of shrubs.. it got the easy one

Hmmm

It’s an ongoing project. If you know what it is, tag that and add to the collective knowledge.

That’s the problem… it’s unknown

scratches head

Picsorban.

Michael V said:

Picsorban.

You having any nibbles with that?

Ian said:

Michael V said:

Picsorban.

You having any nibbles with that?

I was hoping you’d post a picture of the unknown plant. So we could all pretend to be knowledgeable.

Ian said:

That’s a shrub.

I have an eye for these things, you know.

captain_spalding said:

Ian said:

That’s a shrub.

I have an eye for these things, you know.

sure it’s not a shrubbery?…

captain_spalding said:

Ian said:

That’s a shrub.

I have an eye for these things, you know.

Possibly piscorban sp

captain_spalding said:

Ian said:

That’s a shrub.

I have an eye for these things, you know.

A green shrub. With white flowers, too.

Stumpy_seahorse said:

captain_spalding said:

Ian said:

That’s a shrub.

I have an eye for these things, you know.

sure it’s not a shrubbery?…

I am now filled with doubt.

Ian said:

captain_spalding said:

Ian said:

That’s a shrub.

I have an eye for these things, you know.

Possibly piscorban sp

Could be!

A green shrub. With white flowers, too.

——-

Need to mentally adjust to more lilac than dodgy phone camera shows.

I’m going with stumpy.

captain_spalding said:

Stumpy_seahorse said:

captain_spalding said:

That’s a shrub.

I have an eye for these things, you know.

sure it’s not a shrubbery?…

I am now filled with doubt.

Ni!

sibeen said:

I’m going with stumpy.

where we going boss?…

Ian said:

Is this shrub currently in flower? I have an old fashioned “book” I could look it up in, if I know what time of year it flowers.

buffy said:

Ian said:

Is this shrub currently in flower? I have an old fashioned “book” I could look it up in, if I know what time of year it flowers.

“book”? Is it papyrus or something?

Worse…“The Reader’s Digest Gardeners’ Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers. The definitive reference work for Austraia & New Zealan. Over 8000 plants. 4000 photographs”

buffy said:

Ian said:

Is this shrub currently in flower? I have an old fashioned “book” I could look it up in, if I know what time of year it flowers.

In flower now.. has multiple flowerings through warmer months

I’m counting 10 petals on the flowers? Am I counting right? That is a lot of petals for a flat flower.

Maybe look at pictures of Olearia. Perhaps O. phlogopappa. Big guess.

Oh, fails on the leaves.

buffy said:

I’m counting 10 petals on the flowers? Am I counting right? That is a lot of petals for a flat flower.

Dunno. It’ll be closed up for the night.. look tomorrow

buffy said:

Maybe look at pictures of Olearia. Perhaps O. phlogopappa. Big guess.

O. phlogopappa.. looking.. nah

Thanks

A better piccy

Sorry, nothing else is jumping out of the shrub, or tree, listings.

This one’s more interesting. Found behind frontal dunes at Wooli.

?

Mostly a bird spotter, me.

Ian said:

This one’s more interesting. Found behind frontal dunes at Wooli.

?

Without looking anything up…some sort of poinsettia? Thems be bracts, not petals, I think.

Ian said:

A better piccy

Oooo, that looks familiar.
And the one that popped into my head with the other picture was Olearia too, but that was just on flowers. Stigma is wrong for that though. Plus wrong leaves.
It’s bugging me that I quite pick it yet.

Ian said:

This one’s more interesting. Found behind frontal dunes at Wooli.

?

How are we going here…

buffy said:

Ian said:

This one’s more interesting. Found behind frontal dunes at Wooli.

?

Without looking anything up…some sort of poinsettia? Thems be bracts, not petals, I think.

I think Buffy has it.

They seem to be Americans.

https://ourorca.wordpress.com/2014/12/09/where-are-the-poinsettia-flowers/

ruby said:

Ian said:

A better piccy

Oooo, that looks familiar.
And the one that popped into my head with the other picture was Olearia too, but that was just on flowers. Stigma is wrong for that though. Plus wrong leaves.
It’s bugging me that I quite pick it yet.

I think it is in the Malvaceae family, and may even be a Hibiscus.

buffy said:

Ian said:

This one’s more interesting. Found behind frontal dunes at Wooli.

?

Without looking anything up…some sort of poinsettia? Thems be bracts, not petals, I think.

Almost certainly, I reckon.

buffy said:

Ian said:

This one’s more interesting. Found behind frontal dunes at Wooli.

?

How are we going here…

Don’t think so. This one has conjoined sepals (?) and leaves.

Ian said:

buffy said:

Ian said:

This one’s more interesting. Found behind frontal dunes at Wooli.

?

How are we going here…

Don’t think so. This one has conjoined sepals (?) and leaves.

Euphorbia heterophylla?

Michael V said:

ruby said:

Ian said:

A better piccy

Oooo, that looks familiar.
And the one that popped into my head with the other picture was Olearia too, but that was just on flowers. Stigma is wrong for that though. Plus wrong leaves.
It’s bugging me that I quite pick it yet.

I think it is in the Malvaceae family, and may even be a Hibiscus.

Malvaceae, yes, that’s why it is looking familiar. Now, which one.

Ian said:

buffy said:

Ian said:

This one’s more interesting. Found behind frontal dunes at Wooli.

?

How are we going here…

Don’t think so. This one has conjoined sepals (?) and leaves.

Painted Spurge. Euphorbia cyathophora. Environmental weed.

https://keyserver.lucidcentral.org/weeds/data/media/Html/euphorbia_cyathophora.htm

Malvaceae family

—

4500 species. Can you narrow it down?

bbl

ruby said:

Michael V said:

ruby said:

Oooo, that looks familiar.
And the one that popped into my head with the other picture was Olearia too, but that was just on flowers. Stigma is wrong for that though. Plus wrong leaves.
It’s bugging me that I quite pick it yet.

I think it is in the Malvaceae family, and may even be a Hibiscus.

Malvaceae, yes, that’s why it is looking familiar. Now, which one.

Certainly looks like a Malvaceae, but not necessarily a Hibiscus

Ian said:

Malvaceae family

—

4500 species. Can you narrow it down?

bbl

Just leave out Hibiscus for now.

Hah! Bloody Euphorbia. I didn’t realize poinsettia was a Euphorbia. It was the E. peplus that I managed to burn myself with last weekend.

Ian said:

Malvaceae family

—

4500 species. Can you narrow it down?

bbl

Found it, I hope! Grewia occidentalis. Malvacaeae…..thanks MV.

Looks good. We seem to grow a lot of African plants as garden plants here.

ruby said:

Ian said:

Malvaceae family

—

4500 species. Can you narrow it down?

bbl

Found it, I hope! Grewia occidentalis. Malvacaeae…..thanks MV.

Just beat me. Yes that is the one.

PermeateFree said:

Ian said:

Malvaceae family

—

4500 species. Can you narrow it down?

bbl

Just leave out Hibiscus for now.

Grewia?

Michael V said:

PermeateFree said:

Ian said:

Malvaceae family

—

4500 species. Can you narrow it down?

bbl

Just leave out Hibiscus for now.

Grewia?

Ah, OK, I see others have found it to be Grewia, too. My excuse: re-flavouring orange hollandaise sauce.

Euphorbia heterophylla?

——-

Painted spurge (Non Restricted Invasive Weed). Euphorbia cyathophora. Also known as Dwarf poinsettia, this native of Central America is widespread through the coastal sand dunes and adjacent areas.

A weed! Thanks ruby.

Grewia occidentalis
Family: Malvaceae
Subfamily: Grewioideae
Lavender Star Flower
Origin: South Africa

Great, thanks

Michael V said:

PermeateFree said:

Ian said:

Malvaceae family

—

4500 species. Can you narrow it down?

bbl

Just leave out Hibiscus for now.

Grewia?

yes a Malvaceae, but a different genus to the Hibsicus genus.

This app is brilliant :)

What’s this one… ‘acquired” a cutting over a fence…

Matures at 3 – 4 m

Ian said:

This app is brilliant :)

What’s this one… ‘acquired” a cutting over a fence…

Matures at 3 – 4 m

umbrella tree. probably not though. used to be a popular indoor plant.

One more…

Grows to about 2.5m. Tightly branching stems of dense, slightly prickly growth. Small red flowers in spring/summer.

?

ChrispenEvan said:

Ian said:

This app is brilliant :)

What’s this one… ‘acquired” a cutting over a fence…

Matures at 3 – 4 m

umbrella tree. probably not though. used to be a popular indoor plant.

Yeah, looks a bit like a mini-umbrella tree.

ChrispenEvan said:

Ian said:

This app is brilliant :)

What’s this one… ‘acquired” a cutting over a fence…

Matures at 3 – 4 m

umbrella tree. probably not though. used to be a popular indoor plant.

Where are you again? Looks a bit like native frangipani. Hymenosporum flavum (if they haven’t changed the name since I learnt it). Does it have flowers that open white and turn yellow and smell heavenly? I have two mature trees and we perfume several acres of town for about three months of the year.

buffy said:

ChrispenEvan said:

Ian said:

This app is brilliant :)

What’s this one… ‘acquired” a cutting over a fence…

Matures at 3 – 4 m

umbrella tree. probably not though. used to be a popular indoor plant.

Where are you again? Looks a bit like native frangipani. Hymenosporum flavum (if they haven’t changed the name since I learnt it). Does it have flowers that open white and turn yellow and smell heavenly? I have two mature trees and we perfume several acres of town for about three months of the year.

I’m near Grafton. I’ve got a couple of native frangipanis.. this is quite different

Ian said:

One more…

Grows to about 2.5m. Tightly branching stems of dense, slightly prickly growth. Small red flowers in spring/summer.

?

I’m guessing a Grevillea rosmarinifolia hybrid. That’s a popular parent plant…tends to prickly foliage. Red flowers.

Ah, OK. The leaf arrangement looks similar.

ruby said:

Ian said:

One more…

Grows to about 2.5m. Tightly branching stems of dense, slightly prickly growth. Small red flowers in spring/summer.

?

I’m guessing a Grevillea rosmarinifolia hybrid. That’s a popular parent plant…tends to prickly foliage. Red flowers.

That’ll be the one. You know your shubberies :)

I’ll just leave these 2 here for when the gardeners awaken ?

.

And deevs can have his thread back.

Ian said:

Grewia occidentalis
Family: Malvaceae
Subfamily: Grewioideae
Lavender Star Flower
Origin: South Africa

Great, thanks

What a great mob we are…

ChrispenEvan said:

Ian said:

This app is brilliant :)

What’s this one… ‘acquired” a cutting over a fence…

Matures at 3 – 4 m

umbrella tree. probably not though. used to be a popular indoor plant.

not.

Michael V said:

Ian said:

Grewia occidentalis
Family: Malvaceae
Subfamily: Grewioideae
Lavender Star Flower
Origin: South Africa

Great, thanks

What a great mob we are…

Yep.

Ian said:

I’ll just leave these 2 here for when the gardeners awaken ?

.

And deevs can have his thread back.

Hmmmm, trickier ones. Big guess at Osmanthus frangrans and one of the unusual large leaf grevilleas, like hilliana or Orange Marmalade.

buffy said:

I’m counting 10 petals on the flowers? Am I counting right? That is a lot of petals for a flat flower.

Five petals, five sepals?

ruby said:

Ian said:

I’ll just leave these 2 here for when the gardeners awaken ?

.

And deevs can have his thread back.

Hmmmm, trickier ones. Big guess at Osmanthus frangrans and one of the unusual large leaf grevilleas, like hilliana or Orange Marmalade.

Should have added…

Top.. growing into a round shaped thing, 1m or more, no flowers yet.

Bottom.. a tree, maybe 6m, which self seeds especially in the jungle-like growth on the creek bank.

roughbarked said:

buffy said:

I’m counting 10 petals on the flowers? Am I counting right? That is a lot of petals for a flat flower.

Five petals, five sepals?

5 plus 5 smaller petals

Ian said:

roughbarked said:

buffy said:

I’m counting 10 petals on the flowers? Am I counting right? That is a lot of petals for a flat flower.

Five petals, five sepals?

5 plus 5 smaller petals

5 sepals, yes.

40 mins ago..

What is the difference between petals and sepals?

Ian said:

40 mins ago..

What is the difference between petals and sepals?

The sepals are divisions or lobes on the calyx, which is the outer part of a bud that covers and protects the developing sexual parts and petals. The calyx is commonly green and herbaceous, but may be scarious or even petal like. When the sepals and petals are both coloured and petal like, such as lilies they are collectively known as tepals.

The petals cover and protect the ovary and are usually coloured to attract various pollinators.

This afternoon we found some midyim berries , in the bush. (I had found out they grow wild locally, and deliberately went for a bush walk to find them.) They are really quite nice to eat. Small, very lightweight berries with a mild but distinctly sweet-floral flavour and several tiny hard seeds. Mrs V likes them enough that we’ll try to propagate and grow some.

I’m stoked.

:)

https://www.1millionwomen.com.au/blog/get-know-your-native-ingredients-midyim-berries/

Michael V said:

This afternoon we found some midyim berries , in the bush. (I had found out they grow wild locally, and deliberately went for a bush walk to find them.) They are really quite nice to eat. Small, very lightweight berries with a mild but distinctly sweet-floral flavour and several tiny hard seeds. Mrs V likes them enough that we’ll try to propagate and grow some.

I’m stoked.

:)

https://www.1millionwomen.com.au/blog/get-know-your-native-ingredients-midyim-berries/

This afternoon when visiting my sister in Cleveland hospital I spotted this growing in the car park so I stole some to get and identification.
This would be spooky if they are the same thing as MV’s

Michael V said:

This afternoon we found some midyim berries , in the bush. (I had found out they grow wild locally, and deliberately went for a bush walk to find them.) They are really quite nice to eat. Small, very lightweight berries with a mild but distinctly sweet-floral flavour and several tiny hard seeds. Mrs V likes them enough that we’ll try to propagate and grow some.

I’m stoked.

:)

https://www.1millionwomen.com.au/blog/get-know-your-native-ingredients-midyim-berries/

I planted a medium berry in one garden. It grows around and under other stuff.. hardy as..
I haven’t try eating any.

Peak Warming Man said:

Michael V said:

This afternoon we found some midyim berries , in the bush. (I had found out they grow wild locally, and deliberately went for a bush walk to find them.) They are really quite nice to eat. Small, very lightweight berries with a mild but distinctly sweet-floral flavour and several tiny hard seeds. Mrs V likes them enough that we’ll try to propagate and grow some.

I’m stoked.

:)

https://www.1millionwomen.com.au/blog/get-know-your-native-ingredients-midyim-berries/

This afternoon when visiting my sister in Cleveland hospital I spotted this growing in the car park so I stole some to get and identification.
This would be spooky if they are the same thing as MV’s

I don’t know what it is, but it’s not midyim berries.

Ian said:

Michael V said:

This afternoon we found some midyim berries , in the bush. (I had found out they grow wild locally, and deliberately went for a bush walk to find them.) They are really quite nice to eat. Small, very lightweight berries with a mild but distinctly sweet-floral flavour and several tiny hard seeds. Mrs V likes them enough that we’ll try to propagate and grow some.

I’m stoked.

:)

https://www.1millionwomen.com.au/blog/get-know-your-native-ingredients-midyim-berries/

I planted a medium berry in one garden. It grows around and under other stuff.. hardy as..
I haven’t try eating any.

Well, you should.

Ian said:

Michael V said:

This afternoon we found some midyim berries , in the bush. (I had found out they grow wild locally, and deliberately went for a bush walk to find them.) They are really quite nice to eat. Small, very lightweight berries with a mild but distinctly sweet-floral flavour and several tiny hard seeds. Mrs V likes them enough that we’ll try to propagate and grow some.

I’m stoked.

:)

https://www.1millionwomen.com.au/blog/get-know-your-native-ingredients-midyim-berries/

I planted a medium berry in one garden. It grows around and under other stuff.. hardy as..
I haven’t try eating any.

great blog thanks, fiVe