Need a rainy day project? Instead of scrolling, click through pictures of flowers to contribute to climate research from the comfort of your home! Our community science project just reached 80,000 observations, with over 7,000 added so far in 2026.
Let's keep the momentum going and the project growing; become a volunteer curator!
As an iNaturalist project curator, you will add appropriate observations to our project and fill out observation fields regarding the phenological stage (budding, flowering, fruiting) of the observed plant.

Project Goal?
The Appalachian Mountain Club administers multiple iNaturalist projects as part of our research efforts, the largest of which is titled Flowers and Fauna along the Appalachian Trail Corridor. This project provides AMC’s researchers with large datasets that are used to track the effects of climate change on target species across the landscape. We can use these data to determine what species are strong bioindicators and what phenological mismatch may occur. This research can then inform management and monitoring decisions. To turn observations into quality data sets, we need your help!

Where does the project take place? 
The project spans the Appalachian Trail Corridor, but curators can work from anywhere!

When can volunteers participate?
Anytime! We are currently seeking volunteers to curate in August and September to prepare for data analysis and reporting later in the fall. Neena, NPS Scientists in Parks Ecology Assistant, is currently working on the data cleaning process and can provide specific curation needs to improve our modeling. She is generating spatiotemporal heatmaps that show which areas need more observations and lists of existing observations in the project whose fields need to be filled out or checked for accuracy.

Is training needed to participate? 
Yes. Volunteers will be provided with a training video, written instructions, and the opportunity to ask questions.

Who is this project ideal for? 
Anyone interested in plants and climate research! You don’t need to be an expert to curate for this project, but some botanical background and attention to detail is helpful. You will be provided with detailed instructions and support throughout the process!

How to get started?
Contact the project coordinator below!

Contact Neena