Overview
Citizen involvement in monitoring our region's ecosystems is essential, and APNEP seeks to facilitate and promote regional citizen science opportunities both as educational tools and to assist with our wider monitoring efforts.
iNaturalist
Part of APNEP's mission is to identify and monitor the significant resources in the Albemarle-Pamlico Region. With iNaturalist (iNat), you can become part of an integrated network that does just that! iNat is an app that allows you to record what you see in nature, meet other nature lovers, and learn more about the natural world. If enough people record their observations, the data will provide scientists and land managers with useful information for monitoring the biodiversity of a particular place over time.
APNEP needs your help identifying species living in the Albemarle-Pamlico watershed - in your backyard, school yard, favorite vacation spot, and more. Make an iNat account today and get your species "life list" started!
How to get involved:
- Create an iNaturalist account at iNaturalist.org.
- To make an observation using a mobile device, download the iNaturalist app (available for Android and iPhone/iPad).
- Open the app and enter your login information.
- Take a photo of a plant or animal species using either the iNaturalist app or a camera.
- Upload your observation to website. Using a smarphone/tablet, sync your observations to the website. If using a camera, upload photos directly to the iNaturalist site or to your Flickr account which can be linked to iNaturalist.
- Log on to iNaturalist on your computer to edit the recently added observations (add species ID, descriptions, etc.).
Other Citizen Science Opportunities
| Program | Organization | Website |
|---|---|---|
| (NC specific) Aquatic Data Hub | New River Conservancy | Link |
| Bumble Bee Watch | Xerces Society | Link |
| Christmas Bird Count | National Audubon Society | Link |
| (NC specific) Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network (NC) | CoCoRaHS | Link |
| (VA specific) Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network (VA) | CoCoRaHS | Link |
| FrogWatch USA | Association of Zoos & Aquariums | Link |
| Great Backyard Bird Count | National Audubon Society | Link |
| iNaturalist | CA Academy of Sciences & NatGeo | Link |
| (NC specific) NC King Tides Project | University of North Carolina | Link |
| Lost Ladybug Citizen Science Project | Cornell University | Link |
| Marine Debris Tracker | NOAA Marine Debris Program | Link |
| Project BudBurst | National Phenology Network | Link |
| Project NestWatch | Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Link |
| Project FeederWatch | Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Link |
| (NC specific) Sentinels of the Sounds | NC State University | Link |
| (NC specific) Stream Watch | NC Department of Environmental Quality | Link |
APNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) actions addressed:
- D1.1: Communicate the importance of stewardship and offer opportunities for volunteerism to further APNEP's mission
- D2.1: Provide and promote opportunities for outdoor experiences that connect individuals with the Albemarle-Pamlico ecosystem
- E1.3: Facilitate the expansion of volunteer monitoring into a core element of the integrated monitoring network