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Become a Citizen Scientist
Friends of the Blue Hills
About the Organization
The Friends of the Blue Hills (FBH) is a 1,000-member non-profit organization devoted to preserving and protecting the Blue Hills Reservation’s natural beauty, diverse natural habitats and many recreational opportunities.
About the Challenge
Do you love being in the great outdoors? Do you want to help protect it, just by taking photos? Then join the Better Forest Challenge – Blue Hills!
When you sign up for the Better Forest Challenge, you can share your observations of plants and animals with the Friends of the Blue Hills team on iNaturalist. As a citizen scientist, your data will help researchers and nature enthusiasts better understand the health of the forest, how climate change is affecting the forest, and how to better protect it.
Items Needed
- Cellphone and iNaturalist App
Challenge Directions
- Create an iNaturalist account (if you don’t already have one). This can be done on the iNaturalist website, or via the app downloaded to your phone. Remember your iNaturalist user ID! You’ll need it for step two.
- Join our Better Forest Challenge – Blue Hills project. Click on ‘projects’ in the menu on the bottom of your phone. Then search for ‘Better Forest Challenge – Blue Hills.’ Click on ‘join’ on the top of the page. And then start taking photos of the life you see in the Blue Hills, including plants, animals, insects and birds!
- Ready, Set, Observe! Once you’ve created your iNaturalist account and signed up for the Better Forest Challenge – Blue Hills, you’re ready to start making observations! Visit the Better Forest Challenge page here to watch a tutorial and learn more about the project.
- Make sure to snap some pictures using your regular camera (not through the app) and upload them whenever you share your challenge results below.
- Complete a "Share Your Results" form to earn your challenge points.