Become a Citizen Scientist at Up Yonda Farm

Up Yonda Naturalist Anna Moreau says people often hike to reach a particular goal, a summit or other points on a trail. With the iNaturalist app, hikers tend to take more notice of the plants, the fungi, and the insects they come across along the way. They learn about the different species, and they also become Citizen Scientists contributing to a database used by professional scientists in their research. While some Citizen Scientists are trained to make specific observations, for example, different kinds of frogs, Citizen Scientists generally do not need training.

Up Yonda Farm in Bolton Landing has a full calendar of programs scheduled this spring including iNaturalist hikes along the Up Yonda trails. The Lake George Examiner crew joined Anna on a hike to learn how to use the iNaturalist app and a companion app, Seek.  The apps are free and available for Android and iOS mobile devices.

Using their device’s camera, Citizen Scientists photograph the plants or animals they see outdoors and upload the photo. Anna explained there are different types of observations ranging from broad, non-specific observations to research-grade observations, which must include the date, time and location to be useful to scientists.

Uploaded photos are compared to a database and possible identifications are returned. An observation ID is verified once several scientists confirm a species’ identity. The Seek app is more for personal education. It does not require verification and provides a quick way to identify different species in the area.

Related: Up Yonda Farm’s Holiday Wreath-Making program

The iNaturalist hike is recommended for ages 7 and older, but younger children were on the hike and seemed to enjoy snapping pictures of bugs and learning their names. The iNaturalist Hike is offered again on Saturday, April 23, the last weekend of spring break.

Throughout spring break week, April 18-24, Up Yonda is offering many child-friendly programs including visits to the inflatable planetarium for a StarLab show, a recycled art crafting program, scavenger hunts and a Mud Party in the Sensory Garden. Most programs require pre-registration; some have a fee of $5 per person in addition to the day-use fee of $5 per vehicle. For more information and registration, visit the Up Yonda website.

Feature photo: Up Yonda Naturalist Anna Moreau (left) searches for bugs with Examiner Associate Sarah Winter.

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