Getting Started
THE MASTER NATURALIST CHALLENGE

To participate in the naturalist challenge, you have to have an iNaturalist account and download its app on your phone. This app is available on both android and apple. Click here.

After the download, you have to sign up and log in. Once you're settled and have logged in on the app, you’ll see my projects at the bottom right of the screen. Then, you need to join the projects we created. Type “Juhu ecological park (竹湖山居)” and “Oak Hill, Taiwan 殼斗科”, separately, in the search bar and join the projects. 

In this project, you will see all the observations members have made. You can explore what has been found, where, and by who. This is a great way to learn about your environment and of local biodiversity. Tap the explore button on the bottom left and zoom to the location of interest to see where observations have been made in any part of the world! Try to get familiar if you are a new member and most importantly, have fun. This is an app for nature enthusiasts who find joy in wanting to know what kind of plants and wildlife can be seen around them.

 

Most challenges require you to upload your image(s) or recording(s) on this app. 

To upload, tap “Observe” in the bottom center of the app and then choose among the options. Fill out details and type in the species if you can identify it. If you can’t, you can let the app make the best guess for you or leave it blank and someone might make a suggestion for you. Next, pin the location of your observation. Zoom into the place where you made your observation and save. Try to be as precise as possible. If there is internet connection, the app can directly take you to where you are already, and it's quite precise. By the way, your upload should automatically be included in the project if you pinned your observation at the right location. Tap “Share” to upload your observation.

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Pinning the correct location helps us find distribution patterns and seasonal changes of a species. It’s a responsibility we put trust in you and it matters to us. 

 

Suggestions:

If you’re an amateur wildlife lover, you are very encouraged to add extra features in your observations in the note section, such as sex, age (juvenile or  adult), and observed behavior (foraging, eating, resting, competing, perching, stationary, dead, etc.)

Note that there is generally good Wi-Fi service and connection around. In areas where you can't get good internet, It’s advised to make your observations first and then upload once you have a connection to the internet. However, you have to remember where you made your observations.

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