About a year ago, Tyler Arboretum began to actively encourage the use of iNaturalist, a citizen science project that provides a place for people to record and share observations (photos and/or recorded sounds) with fellow nature enthusiasts and experts worldwide. We are happy to report that we have seen substantial increases in both the observations and the number of species identified within Tyler’s borders.
While we have data going back more than 10 years, nearly 40% of the observations plus, more importantly, 120 new species were added within the last year. An additional 77 people have joined us in uploading photos or sounds to iNaturalist. This is more than we had hoped to see, and we thank everyone that has participated in this success!
What do our visitors say about why they like to use iNaturalist? Some of the reasons include:
- Being able to learn the name of the species I am observing
- Knowing I am contributing to scientific research
- Feeling connected to a global community of people who also care about nature
- Appreciating the expert collaboration
- Adding a new species to my own personal nature journal
- Finding a species not often seen by others the surrounding area
This last bullet captivates many of us. We wonder if we might encounter a species rarely seen in our area, or even in our state. After reviewing the data collected within Tyler’s boundaries, we are excited to share that our iNaturalist users have observed species that we did not know even existed at Tyler and other species that are rarely documented on iNaturalist in Delaware County or even nearby. I have highlighted a few of these below.
Photo credit: rogerlatham
In June, the netted chain fern was found at Pink Hill. There are only three iNaturalist records of this plant in Delaware County, all very close to the Delaware state line.
Photo credit: bugsandbirds
July brought a new butterfly to our attention, a Coral Hairstreak observed at Tyler’s Stopford Maze. It is the first of this species documented in Delaware County within iNaturalist.
Photo credit: deberly
Evening Grosbeaks are a bird species in rapid decline for unclear reasons. They were found in Tyler’s parking lot in January of this year. They used to be regular winter visitors in Delaware County but now they are rarely seen.
Photo credit: pamn0803
Tyler is home to many fungi, including the stalked puffball. They look like puffballs wearing lipstick! Well documented on iNaturalist in Virginia and Tennessee, the October sighting at Tyler is only the second one recorded in southeastern Pennsylvania.
Photo credit: bugsandbirds
Going back to August 2024, a wasp rarely ever seen was photographed at Tyler’s Pollinator Preserve. Epinysson opulentus (no common name) did not even exist in iNaturalist, nor was it even in BugGuide, an online resource devoted to insects, spiders and their kin. At the time, it was believed to be the first time someone had ever photographed this species of wasp, and it happened at Tyler.
One way to continue learning, discovering and documenting species at Tyler is to have a Bioblitz. iNaturalist defines and describes a Bioblitz as
‘a communal effort to record as many species within a designated location and time period as possible. Bioblitzes are great ways to engage the public to connect to their environment while generating useful data for science and conservation. They are also an excuse for naturalists, scientists, and curious members of the public to meet in person in the great outdoors, and they are a lot of fun!’
We are delighted to announce that Tyler Arboretum will be having a Bioblitz for anyone interested in participating. It will be held over a two-day period, all day Saturday and Sunday, October 3-4. We will kick off the Bioblitz with an optional in-person program led by an experienced team of Tyler staff and volunteers. Whether you are new to using iNaturalist, or have years of experience, we hope you will have time to participate in either our program on Saturday or in collecting independent observations throughout the entire weekend. Further details will be available in the coming weeks.
If you are new to iNaturalist, this blog introducing Tyler Arboretum’s Biodiversity Project on iNaturalist provides details on how to begin using the application, along with details about Tyler’s three iNaturalist projects.
