Parker Hopkins Curator

Joined: Oct 8, 2014 Last Active: Mar 16, 2024 iNaturalist Monthly Supporter since October 2019

I am currently studying for a Master's of Science in Forestry at Michigan State University.


We finished making a collection project for every unit in the National Park Service, and we would love you to become a member for your favorite park and help contribute with observations, IDs, and annotations. Check it out here: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/national-park-service


I am a former Natural Resource Specialist in the National Park Service, as part of the Biological Resources Division (BRD) in the Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Directorate. I served a role as the servicewide Point of Contact for iNaturalist resources and Data Collection queries, including work on BioBlitz events in parks. In my time with BRD, I built tools for park administrators to access free and open information on platforms like iNaturalist, so that valuable information collected here can be used for management plans and field actions. I continue to serve a role in the management of NPS iNaturalist Projects.

Message me with questions about my NPS work with iNaturalist, and check out https://www.nps.gov/subjects/biodiversity/index.htm for information about biodiversity in our national parks. To learn more about the Biodiversity Discovery Program, go here: https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1103/biodiscovery.htm Go explore the outdoors! #FindYourPark

To contact me, the most reliable email will be parker.a.hopkins(at)gmail.com or hopki162(at)msu.edu.


Top tips to make your observations useful for the NPS:

1) Make sure they are Research Grade! Look for your local counties and parks' projects, and see if an expert identifier can help with your IDs. Info about quality can be found here: https://www.inaturalist.org/pages/help#quality
2) Fill out annotations, especially the Alive/Dead choice for Animals, as it can help us respond to events in parks that involve animal casualties.
3) Make sure that photos are of high quality (no blur, noise, or pixelation), and clearly represent one organism.


I am a graduate of the University of Colorado at Boulder in the Environmental Studies and Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences Departments. As a student, I conducted an honors thesis that investigated innovative, practical uses for iNaturalist to both engage the public in national parks and collect usable and actionable information, with special emphasis on the tracking and management of invasive species. To read my thesis, go here: https://scholar.colorado.edu/honr_theses/1881/

View All