National Education Nature Park FAQ's

National Education Nature Park Queries

We have put together a number of queries and responses relating to using iNaturalistUK. These relate to specific topics for educators as part of the National Education Nature Park. We will add to these based on user feedback.

For a full help guide to using iNaturalistUK please go to iNatHelp and the iNaturalistUK Help section.

(Help documents are currently being migrated from iNaturalistUK to iNatHelp which has the most up-to-date guides.)

 

Wildlife Observations Map

Why are our observations not appearing on the Wildlife Observations Map?

If you have made observations using the iNaturalist app or on the iNaturalistUK website and they are not appearing on the Wildlife Observations Map after 24 hours please check the following

Did you record the observations using your NENP_ login?

For example did you log in on your personal account in error?

Is the observation licence setting set to CC0?

See Create an iNaturalistUK account to learn how to do this or you can find more detail on this iNaturalistUK blog post

Is the location for your observation accurate?

Only observations with an accuracy of 50 meters or below will show up on the Wildlife Observations Map.

On the app open an observation and in the location field look for the number after 'Acc.' If this is more than 50 simple click in the location field and zoom in further. On the website open an observation and click the blue edit button. Adjust your location on the map to be as accurate as possible.

Does the location of your sighting appear outside your site boundary?

If yes, edit the observation so that it is as close as possible to where you saw it. You can do this one by one on the app or batch change them on the website. There is more information in the Location, Location, Location blog post.

Some sensitive species will be automatically obscured by iNaturalist which means that their location will not be shown within your site boundary.

Does the observation have an identification?

If your sighting has no identification eg the 'What did you see?' tab is empty then the record will not show in the Wildlife Observations Map.

If your observations are still not appearing please complete the contact form.

 

Will we be able to see data recorded by others at our educational setting?

The Wildlife Observations Map will only show sightings added to iNaturalistUK using an NENP_ log in. You can see observations made by anyone in your area on iNaturalistUK.

 

Can I see observations from other schools nearby?

You can view all sightings recorded on iNaturalistUK by Nature Park participants using an NENP_ login on the Wildlife Observations Map.

 

I have deleted or amended an observation when will I see the changes on the Wildlife Observations Map?

The Wildlife Observations Map is updated each evening at 11 pm. Any observations that you delete or amend during the day will be either be removed or updated that evening.

 

Queries relating to iNaturalist accounts

I am an educator and already have a personal iNaturalist account set up. Can I use that?

No. For the Nature Park we want to capture data recorded by and in the registered educational setting. Data will be pulled from iNaturalistUK to the Wildlife Observations Map using set criteria including your username which needs to start NENP. Go to Create an iNaturalist account.

This means that if you move jobs or responsibility is passed to another educator they would be able to continue to use the same account.

If you used your own account or even just changed the name it would bring in wildlife sightings you have made anywhere in England. It would also mean that no one else would be able to access or amend observations made on your personal account.

If you are using your personal device for recording you will need to sign out of your personal account and sign back in with the ‘NENP-‘ one. Just remember to ensure you have synced all your observations before doing this.

We already have an account set up for our school. Can we use that account?

Yes. However we need all education settings to follow a naming convention so that observations added as part of the Nature Park can be pulled through to the Wildlife Observations Map. If you are willing to change the username this is easily done. Remember to follow the naming convention eg NENP_exampleschoolNG22

Sign in to iNaturalistUK and go to Account Settings > Profile and change the name. On the app go to settings > edit profile and change the name next to the head and shoulders icon.

You will also need to ensure the licence setting is set to CCO and you are affiliated to iNaturalist United Kingdom.

Log into iNaturalistUK: Account Settings > Content and Display. Scroll down the page to 'Licensing'. Select the relevant licence using the drop down arrows. Remember to Save Settings.

On the iNaturalist Android App: Settings > Default Licenses. Click on the relevant licence to change it. iOS users will need to make the change on the website.

Only sightings with a CCO licence made after 01 March 2024 will be added to the Wildlife Observations Map. You can still view all sightings via the iNaturalistUK website.

We want to record wildlife sightings made on walks and outings. Can we still use the NENP log in?

Yes - please record all sightings made by your learners using the same login. These will still show up on the Wildlife Observation Map. We will be able to extract the sightings that relate to your education setting's boundary for reporting purposes.

I am already recording wildlife at our education setting using another recording platform. (Examples include iRecord, BirdTrack, iSpot.) Can I continue to use them?

You can continue to use these recording tools however the Wildlife Observations Map will only be displaying records added to iNaturalistUK. Observations added to these other platforms will not be included in any reporting on progress by the Nature Park team.

To prevent duplication if you do want to use one of these tools in addition to iNaturalist please only add any observations you make to just one of these platforms including iNaturalistUK.  Read more about data flow.

Adding observations to iNaturalistUK

We have a list of sightings but no photographs or sounds. Can these still be added to iNaturalistUK?

Yes - In order to get a full picture of the biodiversity on your site please add records of all the sightings you make. These will still appear on the Wildlife Observations Map. Please only do this if you are sure that the sightings are accurate.

 

Resources for Educators

Where can I find more help about using iNaturalistUK aimed at educators?

We have created a Teachers Guide – UK Version (pdf) which we recommend you read before using iNaturalist with your learners.

This guide is based on the iNaturalist Teachers Guide

You can find specific advice for educators from across the world in the Educators section on the iNatForum.