Resources

iNaturalist (www.inaturalist.org)

App links for Android - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.inaturalist.android&hl=en_IN

And for Apple - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/inaturalist/id6475737561

What it is: A platform to record and identify any plant, animal, fungus, or other organism you spot in nature.

How it helps: Take a photo, upload it, and the community helps identify the species. Great for general biodiversity documentation.

Best for: Exploring biodiversity,keeping records and identifying unknown species.

Quick guide:The iNaturalist website has a iNatHelp page which has links to all the video tutorials which can guide you on using the app and making an observation. (Link: https://help.inaturalist.org/en/support/solutions/folders/151000547795 )

 

eBird (www.ebird.org)

App link for Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=edu.cornell.birds.ebird&hl=en_IN

App link for Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ebird/id988799279

What it is: A global database specifically for bird sightings, run by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Best for: Building a personal birding list, recording bird diversity, Link: www.ebird.org

How it helps: Log birds you see during outings (checklists), track species over time, and contribute to large-scale bird monitoring.

If you are new to Birding: You can use the Merlin app, which identifies birds in three ways — by answering a few quick questions about what you saw, by uploading a photo, or by recording bird sound and matching it against its call/song. (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.labs.merlinbirdid.app&pli=1)

Quick guide:The eBird website has a support centre page which has links to all the step by step tutorials which can guide you on using the app and making an observation. (Link:https://support.ebird.org/en/support/solutions/articles/48001158707-get-started-with-ebird)

 

SeasonWatch (www.seasonwatch.in)

App link for Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=seasonwatch.in

What it is: A citizen science program that tracks seasonal changes in trees (like flowering, fruiting, and leaf-shedding) across India.

How it helps: Helps researchers understand climate change effects on phenology (seasonal biological events) using long-term, crowd-sourced data.

Best for: Tracking specific trees over time, contributing to climate research.

Quick guide:The Seasonwatch website homepage has a ‘How to Register’ part which has links to all the step by step tutorials which can guide you on using the app and making an observation. (Link:https://www.seasonwatch.in/)

There are also pedagogy resources on the website (https://www.seasonwatch.in/resources/)