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Participatory Science

The collective impact of certified naturalists to biodiversity science

Click here for more information on our Participatory Science short course.

One requirement to become a certified California Naturalist is to contribute at least one observation to the database, iNaturalist. iNaturalist helps identify plants and animals using artificial intelligence. Once a photo of an organism is identified and uploaded, it is confirmed by other users. Confirmed observations then become research quality data for scientists working to better understand and protect nature. 

After certification, California Naturalists can join our program's iNaturalist project. See what other naturalists have recorded in the project below.

Find More Projects

We invite you to browse our list of additional participatory science projects curated for California Naturalists. It's a great way to stay involved and keep developing your skills!

Special thanks goes to the National Science Foundation Informal Science Education program and the Stephen J. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation for supporting this database of projects.