NATIONAL PROJECTS
We promote public participation in the knowledge and conservation of nature through nature education and citizen science.
Advances in technology, such as camera phones, the internet and social media, have made it substantially easier for people to take part in generating knowledge, and to do so in real time. Anyone can contribute to our understanding of life on the planet through citizen science.
As the Mexican node of the iNaturalist Global Network, we run several local, regional and national projects that promote and use citizen science data.
If we care about our shared future and the shared future of our descendants, we should all be naturalists, at least in part.
—Partha Dasgupta in The Economics of Biodiversity: The Dasgupta Review,
(2021)
Somosnaturalistas.mx is our digital platform for accessing valuable information about the natural world. It offers suggestions such as suitable tools for studying living species, readings and activities. It also shares discoveries made by Mexican naturalists and a database generated through citizen science.
Somosnaturalistas.mx is conceived as a complement to the iNaturalistMX platform, a member of the iNaturalist.org Global Network.
Capacitaciones
MEXICAN NODE OF iNATURALIST
The Mexican iNaturalist node was created in 2013 as the first partner of the Global Network. Initially hosted at CONABIO (National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity), it translated the platform and developed the Spanish-language version for Android. Since 2023, the node has been run by TAE.
In 2015, the network of NaturaLista tutors emerged, supported by grants from the Carlos Slim Foundation to carry out outreach, training, talks, workshops and challenges across the country. A network of curators was also created, made up of specialists who support the identification and validation of observations and, previously, the development of content for Enciclovida. Both networks have varied and been temporary, depending on needs and available funding.
Recently, the node held a 20-hour training for tutors, focused on pedagogical tools from the DIA methodology, ecological integrity, SomosNaturalistas and the technical use of iNaturalistMX.
The work of tutors and curators has helped a high percentage of observations reach research grade. The community has also generated more than half a million records of Mexican species, many of them incorporated into Naturalistas Notables.
Among the node’s activities are the spring and fall Retos Naturalistas (Naturalist Challenges), the Reto de Áreas Naturales Protegidas (Protected Natural Areas Challenge), Hongosto and AracnOctubre; workshops for educational institutions and civil society organizations; and projects such as InBioRed, Poliniza and Naturalistas Notables. The node also manages controlled access to precise coordinates of sensitive species for researchers and institutions that need them for scientific or conservation purposes.
Nodos de ANPs y ADVCs del primero año
NETWORK OF BIOCULTURAL INVENTORIES IN PROTECTED NATURAL AREAS (InBioRed)
The InBioRed project is a joint initiative of CONANP (National Commission of Natural Protected Areas) and TAE, aimed at strengthening biodiversity conservation in Mexico by generating more complete and accessible biological and biocultural inventories. It arises to address problems such as the lack of up-to-date data, the limited inclusion of biocultural knowledge and scant public participation in environmental management. Its central proposal is the use of citizen science, involving park rangers, communities and visitors in recording species through digital tools such as iNaturalistMX.
The project is built around four pillars: knowledge exchange, public participation, automated information generation and outreach. Its national scope expands progressively, with a goal of covering approximately 120 areas in four years, starting in the south and southeast of the country. Its design includes training, technological development, communication strategies and the integration of traditional knowledge.
First-year nodes (2026):
- InBioRed Southern Border, Isthmus and South Pacific Regional Directorate
- InBioRed Northern and Sierra Madre Occidental Regional Directorate
- InBioRed Yucatán Peninsula and Caribbean Regional Directorate
Expected results include an increase in biodiversity records, the training of participants and the generation of data useful for decision-making. Its impact is environmental, social and institutional, promoting collaborative governance. In short, InBioRed proposes an innovative, scalable and participatory model to democratize environmental knowledge and strengthen conservation.
NATURALISTAS NOTABLES NETWORK
The Naturalistas Notables of iNaturalistMX are a community of people who have shown an extraordinary commitment to knowing and documenting Mexico’s nature through the iNaturalistMX platform. More than a recognition for the number of species recorded, the group brings together naturalists who want to share their experience, collaborate with other participants and contribute to the growth of citizen science about nature in the country.
Naturalistas Notables have recorded more than 1,000 research-grade species on iNaturalistMX or are leaders in their state. They embody a leadership based on curiosity, knowledge and collaboration, placing their experience at the service of nature and the community.
The Naturalistas Notables community aims to:
- Recognize people who have made outstanding contributions to recording and identifying Mexico’s nature.
- Strengthen a national community of naturalists committed to learning, ethics, collaboration and knowledge exchange.
- Improve the quality of the information generated through collaborative review and identification of observations.
- Encourage new naturalists to participate through mentoring and support activities.
- Contribute to research, monitoring and conservation projects through citizen science.
- Foster nature education and a culture of observing and caring for nature throughout the country.
- Inspire more people to know, value and conserve Mexico’s nature.
Naturalistas Notables take part in workshops, expeditions, challenges, research projects and outreach activities that strengthen the iNaturalistMX community. They also collaborate in the early detection of invasive species, support biodiversity inventories, produce educational materials and serve as mentors for those beginning their path as naturalists. Their experience helps turn millions of observations into useful knowledge for science, conservation and society.
Poliniza, a network of gardens for pollinators, is an initiative dedicated to getting to know pollinators through flower gardens and to recovering their populations. By joining, people take an active part in actions that support the health of the planet, become a key piece in protecting native plants and insects in cities and in the countryside, and join a community increasingly aware of the urgency of caring for nature. Together, we can sow the seeds of a future where nature flourishes and hope multiplies. Let’s make a garden (small or large) with native plants for pollinators. Log the insects on iNaturalistMX. Contact: todos@somosnaturalistas.mx.
The initiative is divided into two groups: projects with areas (polygons) larger than 4 hectares and projects with areas (polygons) smaller than 4 hectares. Visit the initiative’s website, where you will find several tips for creating your garden and your project on the iNaturalistMX platform.
