Welcome to the 2022 ID-a-thon for New England plants! This is a 48-hour period in which we try to add identifications to as many “Needs ID” plant observations in New England as we possibly can. The project will run from 7 PM Friday, Feb. 25, 2022, to 7 PM Sunday, Feb. 27, 2022. You don’t have to be an expert botanist to participate (hint: I am definitely NOT an expert botanist!).

A second – but just as important! – goal is help more iNat observers to become more comfortable with making IDs, because as of this writing there are almost 70,000 observers of New England plants in iNat, but only a little over 12,000 identifiers. So, only about 17% of New England plant observers have made any IDs on observations other than their own.

To help focus this project a little, I’ve chosen to focus on Needs ID plant observations that are already at species level. Just before the project starts, I’ll make a journal post with a link to those observations. In the weeks before the project, I’ll make some journal posts about how I make IDs (not how to ID plants, but the steps I take), online resources that are helpful, and some hints about how to be efficient in your IDs.

The only observations you should add to this project are of two types: really cool plants you think everyone would like to see, and observations where you want a little assistance making the ID. Please keep an eye on the project observations during (and after) the ID-a-thon, so you can help out other participants when you can.

Please feel free to ask me any questions at any time, whether by responding to a journal post or by sending me a private message.

Here I’m going to invite a number of iNatters who I think might be interested in this project (but feel free to not join). And of course, everyone is free to join, whether invited or not.

@agave6_tomwalker, @allisonbf, @akilee, @amandammvt, @apgarm, @bryanconnolly, @btk, @cbuelow45, @cgbb2004, @charlie, @choess, @davidenrique, @deparia1950, @donlubin, @erikamitchell, @jackcadwell, @julie_richburg1, @karro_frost, @mcharpentier, @mikeakresh, @mtjones, @nick2524, @pat_huckery_masswildlife, @patswain, @peakaytea, @slamonde, @taluswalker, @tarpinian, @thomashulsey, @trscavo, @tsn