A web & ap suggestion to help you get off of iNaturalist - especially for Europeans and some Caribbean nations! (Read my pinned post to learn about why, as a scientist who used to love it, I now recommend leaving iNat.) observation.org/
Observation.org is a site older than iNaturalist, with the same basic concept, but some huge key differences. Like iNat, they use traditional computer learning to create a database to help identify creatures from photos; sadly that feature is only available for Europe and a few other countries. However, anyone anywhere can contribute! Observations that are confirmed are pushed to GBIF, a database that scientists use, similar to how "research grade" on iNat is pushed to GBIF.
How does an observation become verified? Well, volunteer experts (both academia and co
... show more A web & ap suggestion to help you get off of iNaturalist - especially for Europeans and some Caribbean nations! (Read my pinned post to learn about why, as a scientist who used to love it, I now recommend leaving iNat.) observation.org/
Observation.org is a site older than iNaturalist, with the same basic concept, but some huge key differences. Like iNat, they use traditional computer learning to create a database to help identify creatures from photos; sadly that feature is only available for Europe and a few other countries. However, anyone anywhere can contribute! Observations that are confirmed are pushed to GBIF, a database that scientists use, similar to how "research grade" on iNat is pushed to GBIF.
How does an observation become verified? Well, volunteer experts (both academia and community experts alike) are tasked with this validation. This is a bit different than iNat, which is built on "anyone can confirm an ID". Validation is thus slower, however, can be argued to be more accurate as someone cannot just go through and auto-agree with a computer-suggested ID without actual human knowledge validation, which happens a lot on iNat. I have some colleagues in Europe who when they use GBIF they actually don't even bother with iNat and filter out those observations. Can you volunteer as an expert? Certainly! There is an application process.
You own all your own data on observation.org - You retain all intellectual property rights to your media, and you have full control over how your data is shared and the licensing of your media files. This includes deleting your data whenever you wish. You can find more information on this here: observation.org/tos/
I emailed and asked specifically about their current and future AI use plans, especially regarding things like GenAI. They clearly understood the differences and harms, and to quote a part of the reply, "We currently have no plans to incorporate LLMs or generative AI. Our focus is on using and developing AI to assist with species identification, and we do this in close collaboration with scientific institutions such as Naturalis Biodiversity Centre. We always adhere to EU law and directives."
I have been using it a bit, and I find it lacks a lot of our cave invertebrates but it is much more European focused. This is going to be a downside for many, but the good news is that you can get species added - there is a process for that. And, most of our critters and plants and such do seem to be in it. Either way, even my rare findings are able to still be pushed to GBIF in this manner, it's just slower is all.
If you want the gamification and fast pace of iNat, you won't like observation.org.
If you thirst for careful identification, sharpening your skills outside of using computer assist, and still being able to contribute to GBIF, and knowing that the site will not be enshittified...well you will probably enjoy it! My guess is it did not take off because it is 'Less Accessible' due to limited ID help and slower confirmation and feedback. But, I think the people sick and tired of iNat will be the kind of people who enjoy Observation.org!
#iNat #iNaturalist #science #nature #community #communityScience #butterfly #bloomscrolling #hope #future #naturalist #biology #ecology #enshittification #climate #DivestDecember
