This post deviates from my usual topics, but as an avid hiker, I’ve been using an incredible mobile app called iNaturalist for a while. It’s a crowd-sourcing platform where people worldwide upload nature sightings—animals, birds, insects, plants, and fungi—and other users validate the species identification. Once a sighting is confirmed by at least two users, it becomes available to the scientific community for research. It’s a fantastic way to learn about species in nature while contributing to scientific research.

Recently, iNaturalist reached a milestone of 500,000 species—or more accurately, taxa—identified through the app, accounting for 23% of all known species on Earth—all thanks to nature-loving volunteers. You can read more about this achievement here: 500,000 Taxa on iNaturalist!.

If you’re into birding, I also recommend the Merlin Bird ID app from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Not only does it help identify birds by sight, but it also allows bird recognition by sound. This feature is truly amazing, especially when you’re in a forest filled with birdsong—it’s like uncovering a hidden world.

These tools make exploring nature even more rewarding—give them a try!