Find something wild
A native plant, weed, spider, lizard, mushroom, feather, track, or birdsong all count. Stay on the trail and give wildlife room.
Notice something. Add to the picture.
Your first iNaturalist observation
You don’t need to know its name. If you can notice a wild plant, animal, fungus, track, nest, or call, you can help build Portola Valley’s shared record of nature.
The most important thing to know: you can be unsure.
Choose a broad label such as “Plants,” “Birds,” or “Fungi,” or leave the identification open. iNaturalist’s suggestions can help, and people in the community can refine the name after you share it. A careful “I don’t know” is more useful than an overconfident guess.
This is citizen—or community—science at its simplest: many small, honest records become a picture no one observer could build alone.
Make an observation in five steps
Try this on your next walk, in a patch of yard, or beside the trail. Your phone usually supplies the time and place automatically.
Take useful evidence
Fill the frame and get a sharp image. Add a second angle when it helps—leaf and flower, top and underside, whole organism and close detail.
Keep photos of the same individual together.Check time and place
Confirm the pin and the date before sharing. A correct location—even with an accuracy circle—is part of what makes the observation valuable.
Add what you know
Use an app suggestion only if it looks right. It is completely fine to start broad; the community can help from there.
Share, then check back
Upload the observation and watch the Activity section. Other naturalists may suggest a name, agree, ask a question, or point out a helpful detail.
A small field checklist
Better observations come from curiosity and care, not expensive gear.
Help someone identify it
- Make the organism large and in focus.
- Photograph several useful features of the same individual.
- Use one observation for each organism you encounter.
- Keep the original photo so its date and location stay attached.
- Mark garden plants and pets as captive or cultivated.
Protect the place you’re enjoying
- Never disturb a nest, handle wildlife, or pick something for a photo.
- Respect property, park rules, and trail closures.
- Review location privacy ↗ for your home, children, or a sensitive place.
- iNaturalist automatically obscures locations for some at-risk species.
- Don’t post people’s faces or identifying information.
- Children under 13 need a parent or guardian’s approval to create an account.
How your sighting helps the Pulse
The almanac is a view of community observations—not a separate reporting system. You contribute by sharing a good observation with iNaturalist.
You notice
A real encounter is recorded with evidence, time, and place.
The community helps
People suggest and refine identifications; you can join the conversation.
The picture grows
Reliable public observations add to what is known about local biodiversity.
Patterns emerge
Future data refreshes can better reflect what people have noticed here and when.
See what neighbors have already found
Explore the living map around Portola Valley. An empty patch usually means no one has logged there yet—not that nothing lives there.
Ready when you are
The app and account are free. These official guides stay up to date as iNaturalist changes.
Get iNaturalist
Install the official app and create a free account. Look for “iNaturalist” from iNaturalist, LLC.
How to make an observation
Official instructions for the current iPhone app, Android app, iNaturalist Classic, and the website.
Open the guide ↗Short video tutorials
See the mobile workflow and learn how to take photos that other naturalists can identify.
Browse videos ↗Prefer a computer? You can also upload an observation on the web ↗.