Biodiversity Squamish

iNaturalist observations record local biodiversity and contribute to a global scientific database.

Mission

To inspire people of all ages and skill levels to explore nature and contribute to a global scientific database through the iNaturalist application.

Why is this important?

Biodiversity conservation begins with understanding the diversity and vulnerability of native species. Biodiversity Squamish is a community of over 3,000 iNaturalist users creating high-quality data to deepen our knowledge of the local natural environment.

How are we contributing?

Building a Regional Database

We have logged over 60,000 observations and identified more than 4,100 species in the Átl’ḵa7tsem / Howe Sound Biosphere Region (AHSUBR).

Focusing on At-Risk Species

About 220 of these—nearly 6%—are vulnerable to landscape disturbance and climate change. Our current focus is confirming more species and better understanding their distribution, especially locally significant and at-risk species.

Supporting Global Biodiversity Research

Research-grade observations are added to the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), a database that is used by researchers, policy makers and conservationists worldwide to track species occurrences, analyze biodiversity trends, and inform conservation decisions.

Volunteer Opportunities

Year-round, on your own time.

Contribute observations to iNaturalist. Help identify other users’ observations.

Learn More

Questions about this project?

Reach out to our Project Coordinator

Judith Holm

jholm@naturesquamish.ca

Who are we working with?

Data from this grassroots, community science initiative is curated by our project coordinator, peer-reviewed, and verified by experts worldwide.

We’re using the data to assess species distributions in the Sea-to-Sky region. It is also being used by scientific researchers working locally and by biologists and other professionals who perform environmental assessments.

Our Biodiversity Squamish project began in 2017 and its boundaries were aligned with two major regional initiatives at the time:

The BC Government’s Howe Sound Cumulative Effects Project , and
The initiative to establish the Átl’ḵa7tsem / Howe Sound UNESCO Biosphere Region.

To strengthen the UNESCO nomination, the Átl’ḵa7tsem / Howe Sound Biosphere Region (AHSUBR) iNaturalist Project was launched in 2019. The species dataset associated with Biodiversity Squamish also played a valuable role in the nomination application, as it included museum and professional records in addition to the observations contributed through iNaturalist. Since the UNESCO designation was achieved (2021), Biodiversity Squamish has increasingly focused on the Squamish area (the northern section of the Biosphere Region). The two projects remain closely connected and continue to support each other.

Observations from Biodiversity Squamish and other iNaturalist projects support local, regional, and global conservation efforts by contributing data to a centralized, globally accessible database. iNaturalist publishes its research grade observations on a weekly basis for addition to the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). This database is used by researchers, policymakers, and conservationists worldwide to track species occurrences, analyze biodiversity trends, and inform conservation decisions. It supports studies on climate change impacts, invasive species monitoring, and ecological modelling.

On a personal level, participating in the project is a great way to slow down, observe what is around you, and become familiar with the species you encounter while out in nature.