Please bring a bring a friend and join us on a walk to identify spring flowers, trees and insects – great for the kids too! – All Welcome
As part of our Help Nature Thrive work we are mapping the local flora and fauna using a phone App called iNaturalist. This is a great tool to get closer to nature so we will be offering tuition on the walk to help you get the best out of it.
We will be starting at 13.30 at the Memorial Hall with a quick overview of iNaturalist and how to use it.
We’ll then take a walk around areas which haven’t yet been surveyed for the local Help Nature Thrive project and you can help us build up the picture of the biodiversity we currently have. You will also help Staffordshire Wildlife Trust’s contribution to the national City Nature Challenge which is taking place the same weekend.
Whilst we believe that the Memorial Hall has wi-fi we recommend that you download and register the App at home prior to the event.
What is iNaturalist?
iNaturalist describes itself as “an online social network of people sharing biodiversity information to help each other learn about nature”, with its primary goal being to connect people to nature.
This involves a global database of sightings, a web-based site for PC access and a mobile phone app which is available for both Android and Apple devices.
The idea is that you make sightings and upload them and the sightings are then publicly available so others can see what you have spotted. Scientific organisations such as the Staffordshire Ecological Records can also use them to get a better view of biodiversity.
Reasons for using use it
- You will be able to identify plants and animals as you see them.
- If you are on first name terms with them you’re more likely to build a closer connection!
- So it helps you appreciate nature more deeply.
- You’ll find that you notice things more often.
- Your sightings will help us create a local baseline for the Help Nature Thrive work.
- You will also be helping scientific organisations in the UK which gather information about Nature.
A local example this week – what’s the caterpillar?
Some issues about your data
You will be using the UK version of iNaturalist so they must comply with UK legislation on privacy – i.e. the Data Protection Act.
However, as iNaturalist has been produced by an American not-for profit organisation and the software is hosted in the USA you will need to consent to your data being stored there. The privacy policy (09/04/24) states that they will not rent or sell your personal details to third parties but, as with all software, you should familiarise yourself with the privacy policy before signing up to ensure that you are comfortable.
When registering for the App please note that your username will be shown next to any sightings you upload (see example here) so it’s best to set up a username which doesn’t directly identify you.
How do I get involved in Help Nature Thrive?
Please get in touch using one of these routes and we’ll make sure you are in the loop:
Email HelpNatureThrive@colwichparishcouncil.gov.uk and they will get you in the loop.
SinCH-led nature activities contact info@sinch.earth or sign up for our regular emails here.
Also please watch out for local events which support this work – more details to follow on local Facebook pages, websites and future editions of the Parish Newsletter.
