iNaturalist NZ — Mātaki Taiao

iNaturalist NZ (previously NatureWatch NZ) is a place where you can share what you see in nature, meet other nature watchers, and learn about New Zealand animals, plants, and fungi.

The world is filled with nature watchers, from trampers to hunters, birders to beach-combers, and pros to school kids. Many of us keep notes of what we find. What if all those observations could be shared online? You might learn about the butterflies that live in your neighbourhood, or discover someone who knows all about the plants in your favourite reserve. For a long time, everyone's notes have been scattered in notebooks, private spreadsheets and dusty library shelves. As a society, we have seen a lot but collectively we remain blind to most changes in our biodiversity. If enough people record their observations on iNaturalist NZ, we can change all this. We can build a living record of life in New Zealand that scientists and environmental managers can use to monitor changes in biodiversity, and that anyone can use to learn more about New Zealand's amazing natural history.