Create an iNaturalistUK account

The iNaturalist app and iNaturalistUK website allow you to add wildlife sightings to your Nature Park map, enabling you to see the incredible range of wildlife your site supports. Understanding what lives on your site will help you to measure biodiversity gains and guide your choices of habitat enhancements to boost biodiversity.

Creating an account is a computer-based activity to complete before you can use the iNaturalist app or website to make observations of nature.  

Getting to know your space

Recording change

< 30 minutes
Educator Guidance

Preparation

What you need

Location  

  • Indoors
iNaturalistUK Teachers' Guide.pdf 715.21 KB

Step by step

To ensure that observations can be shared from iNaturalistUK to the Nature Park map, please carefully follow the steps below to set up the account(s) for your school, college or nursery.  

  1. Go to iNaturalistUK and click Sign Up (on the top right of the page)
  2. Complete your details:

    - Use a generic/group email that you have access to e.g. [email protected] or [email protected] and not a personal one.

    - This means that should you leave or change role; the account remains accessible.  

    - Create a Username which must start with NENP_ and can then include your educational settings’ name and postcode or e.g.  NENP_GrangeRoadAcademyStockport

    - Create a password.  

    - Ensure all boxes are ticked.
     
  3. If requested, confirm your email address by clicking the link in the email that will be sent.
  4. Once you are logged in go to Account Settings > Content & Display (this is found by clicking the arrow next to the user icon on the top right). Scroll down the page and under ‘Licensing’ change the default licenses for observations, photos and sounds to CC0 (this is done by clicking the drop-down arrow on the right of the relevant box.) This ensures your observations can be used by scientists and researchers to build on our understanding of the UK’s biodiversity.  
  5. In Account Settings > Profile add a Display Name, in the same format as your username.  It must start with NENP_ and can then include a school name and postcode or location e.g. NENP_GrangeRoadAcademyStockport
  6. Finally go to Account Settings > Account and check the iNaturalist Network Affiliation shows ‘iNaturalist United Kingdom’.

Time to Explore

Now you are all set up, please take the time to explore the website to discover the nature that has already been recorded around you. We suggest going to the Explore tab and using the map option to zoom into your local area.  

You can now download the app onto any devices you wish to use, and log in. Then head outside and start recording!  

Quick Tips

  1. Look at the iNatHelp How-To section for videos and quick start guides. 
  2. You can set your local area or neighbourhood as a default location. Go to Account Settings > Account and choose ‘Default Search Place’.
  3. Register on the iNatForum and explore the Educators Forum.