Friends and family will find eco-logical fun afoot all around the St. Louis region* while participating in StepOut with iNaturalist!
With the fabulous nature exploration app iNaturalist on your smart phones and this map to Nearby Nature Places to Love, you can discover new plant, critter, and natural community friends while your observations add to a regional atlas of biodiversity data. Your nature observations made during iNaturalist StepOut will boost these community science contributions with social media energy. Utilize iNaturalist to grow your circle of ecological friends anywhere, anytime
Nearby Nature Places to Love
Where can you go to explore biodiversity, assured of a nature-rich experience? Missouri Botanical Garden has curated a map of great locations on the Missouri and Illinois sides of our region. Sites range from public parks to state and local conservation areas to institutional and company campuses that are publicly accessible. Each location is maintained to cultivate biodiversity. The number, geographic distribution, ecological quality, and diverse character of such places in our region is amazing! Be sure to follow each site’s safety policies and procedures. If you can’t get out to one our region’s unique nature sites, you can still participate in your backyard! Let’s do this, St. Louis!
Participation is easy:
- Download the map of 50 Nearby Nature Places to Love.
- Download the FREE iNaturalist app from Google Play or Apple App store.
- Take photos of plants, animals, and other life forms throughout the week of October 10-16. You can do this anywhere across the bi-state* region. This is a great chance to visit a favorite natural space, or explore a new one.
- Upload your images to the iNaturalist app! The app will identify what you have seen, and your observations will add to an atlas of biodiversity data, in development for our region.
- Help us spread the word! Invite a friend or family member to tag along. Create new memories together while observing nature in your community!
Enjoy the iNaturalist StepOut, a special week promoting exploration, but don’t stop there. These Nearby Nature locations are open year-round – and iNaturalist is a great companion for your nature adventures anytime.
* Counties representing the greater St. Louis region: In Missouri: Crawford Co., Franklin Co., Jefferson Co., Lincoln Co., St. Charles Co., St. Francois Co., St. Louis City, St. Louis Co., and Warren Co. In Illinois: Bond Co., Calhoun Co., Clinton Co., Jersey Co., Macoupin Co., Madison Co., Marion Co., Monroe Co., St. Clair Co.
