Discover

Citizen Science + iNaturalist

A bird's nest with robin eggs
Trail lines
Trail lines

What is iNaturalist?

iNaturalist is a crowd-sourced citizen science program where you can: 

  • Share your nature observations through your smart device or PC. 
  • Connect with experts who can identify your observations. 
  • Learn by connecting with other naturalists and helping others. 
  • Help scientists and resource managers understand where species occur. 

Join iNaturalist with a free account and begin adding photo observations to local iNaturalist projects. Find helpful information and videos here

Citizen Science in SMP

Citizen Science is the collection of data relating to the natural world by members of the public, often in collaboration with professional scientists. Summit Metro Parks has a robust citizen science program where registered volunteers collect data that is used to assess and monitor the health of our parks. 

Our programs include: 

  • Amphibian Calling Survey 
  • Native Cavity Nest Box Monitoring 
  • Snake Surveys 
  • Salamander Surveys 
  • Stream Quality Monitoring 
  • Woodcock Calling Surveys 
  • Hawk Calling Surveys 
  • Owl Calling Surveys 
  • Coyote Calling Surveys 
  • Invasive Species Squad 
  • Great Backyard Bird Count 
  • Breeding Bird Survey 

If you aren’t a registered volunteer but still want to get involved, please check out iNaturalist to see how you can contribute your nature observations to science.  

A group of volunteers being given instruction

Get involved

Volunteer with SMP

Would you like to become an SMP volunteer? Hundreds of residents make a difference through various volunteer roles at Summit Metro Parks.