I installed the app a while back to try and identify plants/animals, but I didn’t know about the wider project around it
iNaturalist helps you identify the plants and animals around you while generating data for science and conservation. Get connected with a community of millions scientists and naturalists who can help you learn more about nature! What’s more, by recording and sharing your observations, you’ll create research-quality data for scientists working to better understand and protect nature. So if you like recording your findings from the outdoors, or if you just like learning about life, join us!
iNaturalist is a 501c3 nonprofit organization based in the USA (Tax ID 92-1296468).
https://www.inaturalist.org/pages/developers
Developer information on the Rails, iOS, & Android apps (MIT licenses); API; and datasets
https://www.inaturalist.org/sites/network
Network of websites & affiliated organizations
Data from iNaturalist and other organisations like observation.org is an important part in biodiversity research and conservation.
So while you get information about the wildlife you see, you help out scientists preventing one of the biggest problems of our planet: The biodiversity crisis.
Source: work for a natural history museum.