CHEYENNE, Oklahoma: Saturday, September 26 is National Public Lands Day and Washita Battlefield National Historic Site is looking for volunteers, park advocates, and science enthusiasts to join us in collecting valuable data. From 9:00 am - 11:00 am, take part in citizen science by observing and identifying flora and fauna species at the Overlook by using the free iNaturalist app, available for Android and iPhone.
We will provide a tutorial on iNaturalist, which includes joining Washita’s Project, and take a short tour of the park trail to practice documenting our observations. Your efforts will contribute to our knowledge of biodiversity by recording your encounters with other organisms, helping resource managers understand when and where organisms occur, and connect us with experts who can identify the organisms you observe.
This is also an activity you can do on your own, whenever you want! Maybe teachers assign it as extra credit for students studying biology, or Scout leaders bring their troops to learn about nature, or maybe you walk the trail on a regular basis and want to contribute to science while exercising! Just take pictures of the plants and animals that you see while visiting the park through the iNaturalist app. The best way to protect and preserve is to document what you observe!
Download the iNaturalist app. For Washita Battlefield’s iNaturalist page, visit www.inaturalist.org/projects/nps-washita-battlefield-national-historic-site. For more information, call 580-497-2742, email waba_interpretation@nps.gov, or stop by the visitor center.
iNaturalist (www.inaturalist.org) is a joint initiative of the California Academy of Sciences and the National Geographic Society.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
