Citizen Science
Citizen science lets you contribute to real scientific research by documenting the plants, animals, and birds in your own backyard. Using apps like iNaturalist and eBird, you can identify species with help from AI and expert naturalists while building your own nature journal. Your observations contribute to important biodiversity databases that scientists use to track species distributions; and they help you learn all about local Temecula Valley species!
Citizen Science Apps
Document the wildlife and plants in your backyard using these easy-to-use apps.
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iNaturalist
Photograph any plant, animal, or fungus in your backyard or neighborhood: Local experts, along with iNaturalist's AI, help identify it, and your observation contributes to global biodiversity research. The Seek app offers an alternative interface and is easier to use for children and adults alike.
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eBird & Merlin
Log bird sightings from your backyard and contribute to Cornell Lab of Ornithology's research. The Merlin app identifies birds by photo, sound, or description. The eBird website allows you to take a deep dive into any bird species you find interesting, and the eBird app allows for hobbyists to do more in depth bird identification.
Local Projects in Temecula Valley
Join these local citizen science initiatives to contribute observations from the Temecula Valley area.
Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve
Document species on iNaturalist at the nearby ecological reserve located at 39400 Clinton Keith Rd, Murrieta; over 2,000 species have been observed by citizen scientists.
Check out the Santa Rosa ProjectGreat Backyard Bird Count
Annual event every February; count birds in your yard for 15 minutes and submit to eBird. Family-friendly and welcoming to all skill levels.
Join Bird CountMonarch Watch Tagging Program
Participate in tracking monarch butterfly migration. Order tagging kits and report tagged monarchs to contribute to conservation research.
Join Monarch Program