It has certainly been an exciting last 3 or 4 months with LLELA's embrace of iNaturalist.org. Through workshops, Community 'Get Together' and now Photo Safari our numbers and enthusiasm are growing.
Workshops: We've had over 50 attendees to our beginning iNaturalist workshops. More are planned and advanced workshops are in the works.
Get Togethers: Our first 'Get Together' was certainly a success. The LLELA offices were packed with a standing room only crowd. We had general introductions and an exchange of iNaturalist usernames to facilitate the community interaction on posted observations. SAMBIOLOGY here was our featured speaker who briefly talked about plant observations and the desire to see more posts.
Our second Get Together was a pleasant surprise. We only had a few responses to the invite so moved the location to Square One Cafe in Lewisville. Over a dozen folks showed up, all with laptops and tablets in tow. We had a great time sharing posts and exchanged information and questions about iNaturalist.
Photo Safari: Our very first 'Photo Safari' is planned for this coming Saturday, March 28th, from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM at the LLELA Pavilion. We plan on doing this once a month, exploring LLELA's public trails and possibly an occasional venturing into the non-public areas for a behind-the-scenes look at LLELA's wondrous diversity.
Our upcoming schedule of events:
iNaturalist WORKSHOPS
Location: Lewisville Library (1197 W. Main St, Lewisville)
The original iNaturalist events that started it all. For some, this is a review of the basics, and for others it’s a chance to get a handle on the finer points of iNaturalist. Computers and wifi are provided, but be sure to RSVP because of limited space. Feel free to bring your own laptop and/or mobile device, too. We’ll start adding info about iNaturalist apps to these presentations very soon.
Thursday, April 9, 7-8:45pm
Tuesday, May 5, 7-8:45pm
iNaturalist GET TOGETHERS
Location: TBD
We’re looking for locations with wifi, food, an atmosphere conducive to conversation, and close to LLELA. (We can always fall back on our old standby, the LLELA offices (1801 N. Mill St, Lewisville), where our first Get Together was held.) Please let me know if you have location suggestions! (And don’t be shy about starting your own group closer to home if it suits you. If you do so, let me know and I’ll get the word out.)
Tuesday, April 14, 7-9pm
Thursday, May 14, 7-9pm
PHOTO SAFARIS
Location: Meet at the LLELA Pavilion Parking Lot, explore different LLELA locations each time
These photo adventures are open to the general public (ages 10 and up) but are also a great chance to hone your nature observation skills for iNaturalist. Sometimes we’ll take public trails at LLELA, and sometimes we’ll venture into the non-public areas for a behind-the-scenes look. Be prepared for anything, especially safety in the outdoors! (
Saturday, March 28, 5:30-7:30PM
Saturday, April 18, 7-9AM
Saturday, May 16, 7-9AM
We hope you’ll join your local iNaturalist community for some or all of these events.
Questions or RSVP: Erin.Taylor@unt.edu