Discover Nature in Burnside with iNaturalist

Have you ever spotted a curious insect in your garden or an unfamiliar flower on a walk through Michael Perry Bontanic Reserve and wondered what it was? With the iNaturalist platform, you can find out in just a few taps.

iNaturalist is a free platform that lets you photograph plants, animals, fungi and insects, upload your sightings, and get help identifying them from a community of experts and enthusiasts around the world. It’s like having a field guide in your pocket.

For people living in Burnside, iNaturalist is more than just a fun way to satisfy curiosity. Each observation you share adds to a global biodiversity database, which helps build a clearer picture of the plants and wildlife thriving in our parks, gardens, and reserves. Over 1,900 species have currently been recorded in the city on the iNaturalist platform. This information provides Council and the community with data on the plants, wildlife and fungi in the area, including uncommon and threatened species and can be used to support conservation projects and guide efforts to protect local habitats. It’s also a great educational tool for families, schools, and community groups.

Species are identified in two ways. First, iNaturalist compares photographs of nearby observations to identify species. Second, people who are part of the online iNaturalist community, many of them highly experienced at identifying plants and animals, add identifications to the observations.

These experts includes City of Burnside staff who you can follow on iNaturalist to see what they’re discovering in our local reserves and streetscapes. By keeping up with their observations, you’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at the plants and animals that catch our team’s attention and learn more about the biodiversity right on our doorstep.

Environmental Sustainability Manager – Dr Philip Roetman

By using iNaturalist, you’re not only learning more about the environment around you – you’re also helping tell Burnside’s unique ecological story. So next time you see something unusual on your walk, snap a photo, share it on iNaturalist, and join a global community of citizen scientists.

You can see observations made in the City of Burnside, here: www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-of-burnside-south-australia