How Many Species are in Your Backyard?

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[@besmart]

Download iNaturalist to join the It’s Okay to be Smart global survey project and submit your observations! www.inaturalist.org/projects/it-s-okay-to-be-smart-global-survey

[@mauricethegecko9700]

Love your channel

[@MammothBehemoth]

Wow, this is something I've always wanted to do...to promote being an amateur scientist to a lot of people. Imagine if more than half the population are science/math legible? How far could our society be?

[@PurpleTube]

That’s a great idea. I will try this with my son.

[@jorajungs1413]

Awesome, how is your account named? I need a refence to know how hard it will be to catch up with you.

[@warb_of_fire]

@@jorajungs1413 he has 81 observations and 76 species at the moment. You can beat that with an afternoon hike or two if you're observant. ;-)

[@hipstachio]

I love how Joe has his cap backwards, going on adventure to capture shots of different species😂 like Ash in Pokémon

[@someoneyoudontknow7013]

😂 Agreed.

[@Medabee8]

Ash only turns hit Har when he going to catch a pokemon, and that was back in the day. His hat is normally forward.

[@PeterGriffin11]

@@Medabee8 When turns his hat backwards shits about to go down.

[@Omlet221]

Or because it’s fashionable?

[@someoneyoudontknow7013]

@@Omlet221 yes.... It could be

[@someonesomewhere22]

This is a great idea to do with kids (and by ourselves).

[@writeordie5452]

This is like a real life Pokemon Go. Downloaded the app, and just looking at pictures makes me happy somehow. Looking forward to hopefully contributing myself as well!

[@dragonic_ragecore]

Imma go hunt now, wish me luck

[@yashveer2269]

Jobless me. Someone: what's your occupation? Me: I'm a citizen scientist 😎 🤣🤣🤣

[@Cillana]

Me too! I had to quit my job as a fisheries biologist due to chronic health problems. My job on Facebook is listed as citizen scientist at iNaturalist. 😀

[@grahamfloyd3451]

more respectable than many jobs

[@arunpravin6798]

I have been doing this literally for the past week, I identified more than 30 species, and it was really astonishing! But Finding the exact species was a real nightmare...😄😄

[@arunpravin6798]

@Ryder Hughes It is available in the play store...

[@thepuirox1997]

@Ryder Hughes Using inaturalist in the web is better than the app

[@Cillana]

@@thepuirox1997 Agree

[@lebraza]

@@thepuirox1997 I like to upload the observations from the phone and then investigate further in the web site. I don't know, seems more comfortable to me upload it with the app.

[@kevincable4099]

Just got the app and noticed a lot of observations in my area! Can't wait to get out there and start using it.

[@alexp.2178]

I found a shiny colored bettle i made a picture and the app couldn't found an matching beetle, Semmes like i found another beetle species 😯

[@nicolaslovito8327]

Do Wait. Do not get out. You will find virus outside... And then inside... your house... And then inside... Your body

[@warb_of_fire]

@@alexp.2178 Make sure to post it, maybe someone in the iNat community knows what it is!

[@sweet_lilacss]

This is my favorite app!! Even at the university level, I've found this app so helpful. It makes me smile so much to see the joy and excitement from discovering nature being shared amongst the iNaturalist community. I've used this app to get me in the right direction for using literature keying out different species of plants. It saves so much time (and hundreds of pages) for researchers and brings a great introduction to nature for the backyard explorer. Thank you for covering this!!!

[@TheNaturalistGuy]

Lol same I love this app to death! My goal is to try and get 500 observations by July 29th. I'm already at 402, so if I can just get 98 more observations that would be awesome

[@ravindranathhospital1362]

I just saw a bird and googled it for 30 minutes and found that it was a black drongo. This is going to make it so much better. I am currently working on identifying the birds in my colony because I am making a bird sanctuary. Thank you very much for sharing this app. I love your videos.

[@treygonzalez8425]

I love this so much, as another Texas Boy growing up my grandparents could ID any flower, or bird that crossed their path. I cant wait to have that level of understanding of what's around me

[@goodimprovisedname739]

Not only can you have fun while looking and walking around observing nature, you also help scientists too- damn-

[@marzipan3437]

The only question can I take photos of my chickens

[@loyaltheoristgirl1018]

Im gonna feel honored lol

[@Cillana]

@@marzipan3437 You can but they don't contribute anything and will be marked as "casual" and not be eligible for "research grade"

[@marzipan3437]

Yeah I kinda meant it as a joke it would be cool but nope

[@bananapeaches6370]

I live in Australia, in the bush, actually the last of the bush in our area, as the encroaching developers close in on us. I have been taking video and photos for memories. I have been listening to the wildlife since we moved here 10 years ago..... I have a story if anyone is interested ... One day a friend of mine was over having a coffee with me. I heard the Noisy Minors going absolutely ballistic and then all of a sudden there were kookaburras making weird kind of noises .... almost aggressive sounding? (Maybe that was my assumption lol) I said to my friend “listen. Hear the birds.? There is a lace monitor out there” she laughed so hard at me, seriously thought I was telling a joke. We walked out the front and a few hundred metres toward the gate, sure enough a massive lace monitor was heading up to probably steal eggs! Ha! To really science I know..... but just wanted to point out how cool it is that we have animals that can communicate in a way that humans can figure out, The other day my daughter said “the birds found James” James is our cat lol. We’d been calling him so the birds started screaming.... at Mr James awwwwww. Thank you for the upload, I love it,

[@leifioleif5946]

I know exactly what you mean, I always know when a Wedge Tailed Eagle, or some kind of Grey Hawk is about, as the Sulphur crested Cockatoos go nuts and swarm, along with the other birds.

[@babey202]

That’s such a cute and funny story!! 🤣Thanks for sharing

[@bananapeaches6370]

Silver Lune we have six chooks and they’re the ones that “tell” me there’s a hawk or eagle because they run for cover lol... first they all stand about just watching the sky , making tiny clucking sounds then they bolt lol quite funny sometimes, poor old chookies Hope all is well in your worlds :)

[@bananapeaches6370]

SnazzyPool Happy to oblige 💁✌️

[@leifioleif5946]

@@bananapeaches6370 Wow, that must be quite the thing to watch! Very smart chooks you have in your care!! Also, it's a shame that the bush around you may be turned into housing at some stage, especially since you have Lace Monitors, I don't think I've seen one around here. They're probably out there, or it could be too cold. I'm lucky that the bush around me is a national park, so it won't change much in regards to development. Enjoy your afternoon!

[@suprabhap684]

Nature is all around you Me:sees a cockroach Also me: stares at it Cockroach:well I’m bored, hey human! Also cockroach:comes running to me Me:throws literally everything in my house and gets out Cockroach:why are they scared of me?

[@helldronez]

until they fly

[@jonathansauceda589]

I expected it to be sponsored by curiosity stream

[@nazdavidoff]

Not in Iceland, there’s only myfluga and regular flies

[@TheDarkPacific]

You may by surprised. Life has a nack of existing in the most extreme and bizarre places

[@murockey]

There are 282 animal species documented in iceland on iNat.

[@papasmjordeig]

Here in Iceland there are veeeeery few species of insects. Big colorful butterflies are the rarest and coolest things you will find here :I

[@kennetht5923]

Also not in Hong Kong, where there’s no backyards :(

[@murockey]

@@kennetht5923 there are a stunning 6.220 species of animals documented in Hong Kong!

[@jamesd5366]

I've been tracking the species in my own backyard (mostly) using inaturalist since August of 2018, and I'm currently at ~5000 observations across ~1200 species. I've always been a bit of a bug nerd, but Inaturalist turned me into a full-blown nature freak.

[@TheNaturalistGuy]

Me too lol. I am trying to get 100 new observations by next month. I'm at 400 observations and trying to reach 500. I am going to finally be an amateur!

[@dylankroon7114]

Oh my! I already did this as a hobby but didnt know where to share it! Thanks for the idea! Hahah

[@maidenofmoths]

I did this with my three year old brother a while ago and had a lot of fun. We called it bug hunting haha

[@deepprakash4841]

0:22 dude... we got mantises the size of a human palm. i didnt even know such smaller versions even existed.

[@kevinmatthew]

I hit a mosquito and uploaded it to iNaturalist. Thanks Joe, its life has more purposes now.

[@lebraza]

Same, I accidentally squashed a tiny winged black insect, I posted it and it got research grade lmao

[@semaj_5022]

Definitely going to download this app, thanks! I'm sure they'll be stoked with the influx of citizen scientists thanks to this episode. Also I honestly love this channel. Always great information and Joe seems like a sincerely decent dude that cares about everything and everyone on this planet. Mad respect.

[@szymonwierzbicki9848]

Me: mom can I have animal crossing? mom: no, we have animal crossing at home. animal crossing at home:

[@warb_of_fire]

Animal Crossing only has 80 species of "fish" and and 80 species of "bugs". iNaturalist has _way_ more. ;-)

[@amirarsalanganji8304]

Upupa epops yeah. Inaturalist only has a few thousand

[@SaulLingTheKingOfTheJungle]

Nah I think animal crossing is inaturalist at home lol

[@Rinkyu]

I naturalist is way way better

[@Benzy670]

Alright, Joe, you convinced me. This honestly does sound fun.

[@billbaggins]

I made a list of backyard regular birds the other week, about 30 and another list af local area regulars, about 25. My favourite are the Tasmanian currawongs that taught me to feed them.

[@sagetrillion]

As a national park ranger based in a visitor centre I love it when people come in and ask about something they saw "out there". I often use inaturalist to show them what they have seen, as a way to not only awnser the question, but show them how easy it is to look up species on inaturalist, and hopefully inspire them to add some of thier own obs. Its a great site, and I love seeing what others are seeing. I have been contacted by a couple researchers about my things, which is always nice to know you are helping science.

[@SoraByers]

I've been on inaturalist since 2015. It's very cool to see how it's grown over time.

[@theweirdnessbegins2351]

Hey Joe! I was on my front porch today and I saw a spider that looked like a hornet or yellow jacket. Thanks for making these videos there my favorite thing to watch in quarantine.

[@dozeregg]

I live on 50+ acres in a region I didn't grow up in. I was looking for something like this a week or two ago. Perfect timing!

[@gigglysamentz2021]

I've started using the app and it's remarkably effective at recognising common plants! I love learning their names!

[@nickthenickname8507]

7:15 "Very spicy do not touch"

[@lukem2592]

6:55

[@aikslf]

I've been looking for an app that can identify plants! I don't know the names of plants or what they look in different stages, but I see a lot of different plants I don't know the names of! Thank you for introducing this app, I never even knew it existed

[@garrettelliott5849]

My backyard is is ten acres, covered in a blanket of tall grasses, and it’s supposed to rain for about the next two weeks. I think i might wait until this rain stops to do this.... I also would probably be covered in ticks and grass marks after doing this too.

[@warb_of_fire]

Post the ticks too! hehe

[@TheSamba37]

So glad you posted his video. I've been wanting to start a nature journal of sorts for a long while, but haven't jumped on it because I wanted something digital.

[@JeffQue]

And it is localized in portuguese!! Just joined the team

[@Efemral]

I'm going to go out and snap all the aussie spiders in my backyard! Tell my wife I love her.

[@Edudg]

I'm really really into macrophotography and never heard of this app! I have a lot of photos documenting a variety of insects and small animals on my region. I used Google Lens to learn what is in the photo, but that would be it. I've just download iNaturalist and can't wait to share them all! Thanks for the tip!

[@jface3806]

I got trained and worked as an arborist (tree care) in the western USA while I was in college getting my engineering degree, then moved east, and realized there's so many more plants I have no idea about. This is going to be perfect for helping to polish up the knowledge I don't use as often anymore. Plus animals...I'm legit excited!

[@rlowellm]

I found a snake in my backyard in the first 5 minutes! And within 20 minutes, it was ID'd as a 'western terrestrial garter snake'

[@voizcrack]

My man you might wanna take a better care of your backyard

[@madil2259]

4:21 I have a picture of this flower in my smartphone. Beautiful!

[@arnanpawawongsak5204]

When I first saw this: 2020 in high school, barely heard of iNaturalist, just wanted to know what trees were around me, not sure what I wanted to do with my life Now: 2023 in college, Use iNat all the time, crazy plant nerd, determined to become a botanist In short: Thanks for changing my life

[@federicon.5085]

I love this app. I downloaded it to identificate some plants near my house something like a year ago (recomended by Phil Torres, the lepidopterologist, not the astronomer), and its soooo awesome. 10/10 would recommend!

[@sisterrattlebones]

Yesss! ❤️ 🐜 🐛 I got super excited when i clicked on this video, I guessed you were talking about the iNaturalist app. I’ve been using this app for the past two years now and it’s awesome!

[@gabrielesanchez4292]

I can't say how grateful I am for this video informing me about this app back in May!!! I moved to a different US region at the beginning of the year and now know the names of so many of the critters in my yard (so many creepy looking ones are actually very beneficial). It's helping me to ID and weed out invasive plants & encourage indigenous ones. It's brought a lot of joy and curiosity in an otherwise maddening year. Thanks x 1000000

[@Pssybart]

Cool! When I was in college there was a class in which we could propose ideas for apps, and I came up with this exact concept. My classmates also told me: so you're basically making a real-life Pokedex?

[@yellowpowr8455]

When were you in college? I feel this context is very useful for the full mental picture. I assume iNaturalist did not exist yet?

[@Iby200]

Thank you.. great suggestion I have downloaded and started snapping I was surprised to see how many people in Sydney Australia have this app.

[@joan.gonzalez]

1:06 they made their own version of the meme and I respect that cheersilldrinktothatbro.png

[@onlyme8780]

I love this. I didn't even have to leave my room and i found 3 different types of flies, 2 different types of roaches, and bedbugs. This is the most fun ive had in YEARS!!

[@james4thedoctor482]

I love iNaturalist! I had to make 10 observations for my Ecology class, and I haven’t stopped since (currently over 1,800 observations).

[@Dominus_Umbrae]

I’ll have to take a whole day off to ID everything just in and around the yard. But I’m looking forward to it!

[@FizzyliciousASMR]

I’m legit running out into my yard RIGHT NOW!! LOL! I can’t wait! Excellent share, dude! Thanks!

[@lucasliam8238]

That was such a small cute praying mantis. I moved while ago to somewhere with praying mantises but I didn’t know there would be any, so I never looked for them. Then winter was coming. They were unmissable and it was the best thing ever, giant mantises larger than my hands, from the Panera bread Parking lot to my backyard when I was mowing the lawn. Also snapping turtles and frogs.

[@simonwilczynski5863]

I've done this all my life. No big collections but always looking for creatures and critters everywhere. I even found crayfish in the lake my father grew up around. He didn't even know. At 33 in getting this app and I'm gonna have soooo much fun with my daughters.

[@foxythunder481]

“Very spicy, do not touch.” 😂

[@sagetrillion]

This is now likely one of my most shared vids. Big advocate of inaturalist, and this makes it easy to explain to others.

[@evank3718]

Now I gotta go complete my everything-dex

[@roth4916]

Just posted my first few observations! thanks for showing me this app!!!

[@Maxime_K-G]

Thanks for this awesome video (how did I miss it a year ago 🤔). This will pair really well with Geocaching as I often come across bugs and plants that I have never seen before. Now I finally have an outlet to share what I've found and maybe uncover what species they are and how rare my sighting of them really was.

[@nataliatran4878]

Hey! I already use this! It's cool to see it being talked about. Absolutely download this if you often wonder what things are.

[@sillykristy]

My great uncle Leon Hepner was an entomologist at the University of Mississippi. While he's long gone, I'd like to think he'd have loved this. I never got a chance to meet him myself.

[@macfady2181]

I've been using this app for about a year now. Really easy and lots of fun.

[@theunknownonetuo2033]

I'm scared to almost all arthropods but I'm also very interested with them, that's why I wrote my own fantasy/scifi novel about them! I will definitely download this app! I've been searching for something like this actually!

[@fegolem]

OH Thank goodness. I've been taking pics of interesting plants and bugs for years. Until now, I don't know how or where to submit them for ID and to add to the knowledge base. Thanks!

[@duskmallow]

I've always wanted a real life pokedex. Something that lets you take a photo of an animal and gives you some information about it, and you could "collect" them and fill up your pokedex

[@warb_of_fire]

Each species on iNaturalist links to its Wikipedia article and other sources, so it kind of works like that!

[@tophealth429]

Omg. I am so gonna do this on my way to work.

[@Cillana]

I was hoping this video would be about iNaturalist. Didn't disappoint. Love that you mentioned the Never Home Alone project. I'm a fan.

[@arokace]

This app sounds really kool. Downloading it now so I don't forget about it.

[@nerdycorner]

The potato bug makes me roll everytime. Heer i go oop i tripped. it seems so funny to me for no reason

[@Ep1X__]

5:45 i love that voicecrack :D

[@CJ_McK]

Ive been looking for an app like this for like 2 years... seen many duds, but looking forward to trying this one :) thank you!

[@PeterWFishing]

thanks for putting this out there! iNat is such a phenomenal platform

[@benespection]

Thanks Joe, this video popped up on my feed just in time after observing a marmalade hover fly in the back yard hovering dead still for nearly 15 minutes. I thought it was a wasp with its behaviour, but now I'm wiser courtesy of this app! Yep, mind blown :)

[@wiggles3945]

Yes please do this. This is a great help to naturalists especially now because we are all stuck at home

[@Velociter]

Going to nature conservation areas is the best! So many plants and animals to document.

[@spookyblush-speedruns]

I LOVE using iNaturalist & I'm so happy he shone a light on it! Joe w/fire ants: Very Spicy. Do Not Touch. Hilarious.

[@richies6420]

Thanks... I’ve wanted something like this for years.. can’t wait to download

[@MammothBehemoth]

Wow, this is something I've always wanted to do...to promote being an amateur scientist to a lot of people. Imagine if more than half the population are science/math legible? How far could our society be?

[@gigglysamentz2021]

Omg!!! Their app can help recognise species? I need it right now

[@NOLAMarathon2010]

The guy who taught me Java2 at the University of New Orleans -- he is now a professor of computer science at Tulane -- said that computer vision was the hardest graduate course that he took.

[@michaelnelson2976]

Downloaded and excited! It would be awesome to cover and publicize more of these citizen scientist projects!

[@looony]

Not you mobile phones identifies it. The picture is send to a server(-cluster) where it's being compared. The server then sends you the suggestions.

[@victoriaeads6126]

We live in rural Northern Virginia. I grew up in SE PA as an amateur naturalist. My family and I just spent the last three + weeks observing the starlings that are nesting in our soffets....because the Eastern Bluebird took the birdhouse, and the Tree Swallows took the Purple Martin type house. If we tried to actually catalogue everything, we would be very busy people. Nature is %&$#ING amazing.

[@Skel5306]

me: Counting spiders in my room also me: *NIGHTMARES*

[@Kinglink]

"Hope it's better." How has it actually gotten worse only a week later? Still love the enthusiasm. Keep up the good work.

[@Caleb-gs2zu]

Why is this the best thing ever? 🤣 1:07

[@caseycrocker]

Right on and will do. I am the photographer for Arkansas and would love to contribute to iNaturalist. Thank you, Joe.

[@Nebraska-CatFanDanOzzy]

Great app. Now I can tell my daughter what are the flowers that she is seeing.

[@jeremygilmore3208]

You missed the iNaturalist City Nature Challenge Joe!

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

Adventure is out there! Cute mantis

[@justacat2318]

The spiders in my apartment: HI!

[@icakad]

I joined the project. Located in Bulgaria.

[@valeriaraposo1]

-If it doesn't rain, I'm doing this tomorrow. Looks like so much fun, and there're some creatures in my backyard that I can't identify.

[@MatthewF-up4rj]

I just downloaded it! Can't wait to start using it. 😁

[@amirarsalanganji8304]

Wow! This is the only comment section ive seen where there are no arguements in the replies! Glad to see how much people live nature!

[@renata3559]

I just downloaded the app and are ready to start. I am starting an internship at a shepherd in the Netherlands so I think I can find a lot of cool things

[@joyshreeparijat2453]

I am doing the same thing.Good to know that you're also doing it.

[@ItsMe-ox8lm]

Wow! This is a very good idea. I live in Central America and I have a big backyard, so I am going to give it a try.

[@Josuecanyousee]

This was the sexiest science I have ever witnessed. Praise home science by dads!

[@mosesembrey323]

I wish I would’ve known about this earlier this year, I found a ton of critters I’ve never seen before

[@liamkallianpur8870]

I can't believe how fun this is!

[@katuwalgovinda5028]

Also download SEEK app, here you can open the camera app and after a min it will show possible identified species'. Inaturalist is best. I had completed my project in college using these two both apps. Its not that you posted and it gives a specific species' you must spent some time comparing and verifying. Happy trials.

[@Zahri8Alang]

Dang it Joe, why didn't you tell me about this app like 5 years ago. I've tried googling creature with text description, it's not very effective..... Oh well, I'm gonna join!