A long overdue #Introduction.

I take #CreativeCommons photographs (Mostly of #Nature) which I contribute to #WikimediaCommons and when appropriate also to #iNaturalist. I've uploaded over 20,000 photos to #Wikimedia and over 12,000 observations to #iNat (of more than 3,000 species).

I only post my own photos on this account (all of which are #CCBYSA) and make occasional posts about Wikimedia and iNat.

#Photographer #Photography #CitizenScience #Vegan #Naturalist

A long overdue #Introduction.

I take #CreativeCommons photographs (Mostly of #Nature) which I contribute to #WikimediaCommons and when appropriate also to #iNaturalist. I've uploaded over 20,000 photos to #Wikimedia and over 12,000 observations to #iNat (of more than 3,000 species).

I only post my own photos on this account (all of which are #CCBYSA) and make occasional posts about Wikimedia and iNat.

#Photographer #Photography #CitizenScience #Vegan #Naturalist

Here's my photo of a young Cougar in snow (Puma concolor). The Cougar is also known as Mountain Lion, Puma, Catamount, or Panther. ©Carl R. Englander

#ArtAdventCalendar #ThrowbackThursday #Throwback #Caturday #CatsOfMastodon #Cat #Cats #Catstodon #NaturePhotography #Photography #PhotographersOfMastodon #Photo #Photographer #Nature #Outdoors #Biodiversity #Naturalist #Color #Film #Kodak #Winter #Mammal #Conservation #Biodiversity #Environment #Ecosystem #Ecology

Hey Ya'all: iNaturalist update on their #enshittification with #GenAI

https://www.inaturalist.org/blog/118695-exploring-new-ways-to-learn-from-inaturalist-s-community-expertise

They seem to still not understand how LLM works, that hallucinations are inherent to the machine, and they *cannot* deliver on the "promises" they are making.

*I HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU DELETE YOUR iNATURALIST ACCOUNT*

I say this as a scientist. Who has used iNaturalist for research. Who has done almost 30,000 ID's on it, mostly for others. The danger is immense, and they are ignoring facts about the very way these machines work to make.

#inaturalist #nature #science #sciencecom #naturalist #communityScience #AI

When I first got this book I was completely overwhelmed

It’s a great feeling now six years later to be able to understand and even properly use it a little bit

#botany #naturalist #NativePlants

Here's my photo of a young Cougar in snow (Puma concolor). The Cougar is also known as Mountain Lion, Puma, Catamount, or Panther. ©Carl R. Englander

#ArtAdventCalendar #ThrowbackThursday #Throwback #Caturday #CatsOfMastodon #Cat #Cats #Catstodon #NaturePhotography #Photography #PhotographersOfMastodon #Photo #Photographer #Nature #Outdoors #Biodiversity #Naturalist #Color #Film #Kodak #Winter #Mammal #Conservation #Biodiversity #Environment #Ecosystem #Ecology

iNaturalist Enshittification Update:

So you know the Q&A they promised to host about their Generative AI project back on (checks notes) June 11, 2025? Well it is finally scheduled! I got the email for it (because it was a form sign up, unlinked to iNat account, yes my iNat account is deleted).

They managed to *completely* avoid using the term "AI" in the entire email. They announced it as, "Register now: Scaling Identification Expertise webinar". They are desperately trying to rebrand this, do not fall for it. (Update: they finally had to in the webinar, they confirmed they are using Gemini but only in the chat window, never spoken about so it might not even been recorded? https://scicomm.xyz/@astrodisastro/115656803556190100 and https://biodiversity.social/@ClimateJenny/115656989250805843)

Furthermore, the webinar is tomorrow, and it's not a Q&A, and it sounds like the demo is ready to go. I have friends still on iNat and it sounds like there is no notice of Generative AI scraping comments, or opting in (or out of) such projects. This leads me to think that they are just going to scrape the entire site, considering their refusal over the past SIX MONTHS to even promise us this much - that our content won't be scrapped without our opting in to the program. Considering this, I wonder if your stuff is being scrapped as I write this, if you still use iNat (conjecture, yes, but a very real and legitimate one).

I also love how they cherrypicked two users who are full on board with GenAI as their "user experts".

I am laughing at their attempts to reframe this, because they *know* they had to lock the blog posts about this because hundreds of users were overruning it with their dismay. They *know* GenAI is not liked in the iNaturalist community at large.

I hereby announce that instead of my usual Karstmas postings for December, I will be instead posting things for #DivestDecember and encourage other people to join me in creating this hashtag! What is it for? Anything that helps people move away from harmful companies, corporations, AI, GenAI, and whatever other monopolistic and/or silicon valley type stuff you can think of!

My own posts will be focused on other ways to improve your identification skills and naturalist skills. I won't be able to post every day, but hopefully you can at least follow that hashtag for tips. It is also my hope that it will take off and others with their own areas of expertise can share their knowledge of how to get away from these harmful systems, or at least, decrease our use of them. Some examples:
- How to install / use LibreOffice
- Which grocery stores are employee-owned
- Amazon alternatives
- Writing help without relying on chatGTP for those who struggle with grammar
And anything else you can think of! It is my vision that this hashtag will be either simple and easy tips, or, well-written step by step foolproof as many things I see are written assuming lots of prior knowledge of the topic.
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to write in an accessible way.

#iNat #AI #GenAI #enshittification #nature #science #iNaturalist #naturalist #biology #ecology

iNaturalist Enshittification Update:

So you know the Q&A they promised to host about their Generative AI project back on (checks notes) June 11, 2025? Well it is finally scheduled! I got the email for it (because it was a form sign up, unlinked to iNat account, yes my iNat account is deleted).

They managed to *completely* avoid using the term "AI" in the entire email. They announced it as, "Register now: Scaling Identification Expertise webinar". They are desperately trying to rebrand this, do not fall for it. (Update: they finally had to in the webinar, they confirmed they are using Gemini but only in the chat window, never spoken about so it might not even been recorded? https://scicomm.xyz/@astrodisastro/115656803556190100 and https://biodiversity.social/@ClimateJenny/115656989250805843)

Furthermore, the webinar is tomorrow, and it's not a Q&A, and it sounds like the demo is ready to go. I have friends still on iNat and it sounds like there is no notice of Generative AI scraping comments, or opting in (or out of) such projects. This leads me to think that they are just going to scrape the entire site, considering their refusal over the past SIX MONTHS to even promise us this much - that our content won't be scrapped without our opting in to the program. Considering this, I wonder if your stuff is being scrapped as I write this, if you still use iNat (conjecture, yes, but a very real and legitimate one).

I also love how they cherrypicked two users who are full on board with GenAI as their "user experts".

I am laughing at their attempts to reframe this, because they *know* they had to lock the blog posts about this because hundreds of users were overruning it with their dismay. They *know* GenAI is not liked in the iNaturalist community at large.

I hereby announce that instead of my usual Karstmas postings for December, I will be instead posting things for #DivestDecember and encourage other people to join me in creating this hashtag! What is it for? Anything that helps people move away from harmful companies, corporations, AI, GenAI, and whatever other monopolistic and/or silicon valley type stuff you can think of!

My own posts will be focused on other ways to improve your identification skills and naturalist skills. I won't be able to post every day, but hopefully you can at least follow that hashtag for tips. It is also my hope that it will take off and others with their own areas of expertise can share their knowledge of how to get away from these harmful systems, or at least, decrease our use of them. Some examples:
- How to install / use LibreOffice
- Which grocery stores are employee-owned
- Amazon alternatives
- Writing help without relying on chatGTP for those who struggle with grammar
And anything else you can think of! It is my vision that this hashtag will be either simple and easy tips, or, well-written step by step foolproof as many things I see are written assuming lots of prior knowledge of the topic.
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to write in an accessible way.

#iNat #AI #GenAI #enshittification #nature #science #iNaturalist #naturalist #biology #ecology

On this day 76 years ago, Aldo Leopold's A Sand County Almanac was published. We still have so much to learn from this beautiful and heartbreaking account of one of the foundational American Naturalists.

I wrote a bit about it a couple of years ago after reading it and having my own heart broken.

We need a Land Ethic for our time, and for all time.

https://daniel.observer/journal/a-sand-county-almanac

#nature #naturalist #LandEthic #conservation

On this day 76 years ago, Aldo Leopold's A Sand County Almanac was published. We still have so much to learn from this beautiful and heartbreaking account of one of the foundational American Naturalists.

I wrote a bit about it a couple of years ago after reading it and having my own heart broken.

We need a Land Ethic for our time, and for all time.

https://daniel.observer/journal/a-sand-county-almanac

#nature #naturalist #LandEthic #conservation

Hey Ya'all: iNaturalist update on their #enshittification with #GenAI

https://www.inaturalist.org/blog/118695-exploring-new-ways-to-learn-from-inaturalist-s-community-expertise

They seem to still not understand how LLM works, that hallucinations are inherent to the machine, and they *cannot* deliver on the "promises" they are making.

*I HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU DELETE YOUR iNATURALIST ACCOUNT*

I say this as a scientist. Who has used iNaturalist for research. Who has done almost 30,000 ID's on it, mostly for others. The danger is immense, and they are ignoring facts about the very way these machines work to make.

#inaturalist #nature #science #sciencecom #naturalist #communityScience #AI

Did you know that domestic cats are the #1 killer of our imperiled native birds? In the US alone they kill 2.4 billion birds each year. More than any other human caused threat, by a long shot.

They may make nice pets, but they top the International Union for Conservation's list of nature's most destructive invasive species.

If you're an environmentalist, a birder, or you just love nature, keep that kitty indoors.

https://abcbirds.org/program/cats-indoors/cats-and-birds/

#cat #cats #catsofmastodon #invasivespecies #conservation #naturalist #birding #endangeredspecies

If you'd like to learn more about the eye-popping ecological impacts that unchecked domestic cats have, check out this free webinar from Missouri River Bird Observatory, one of my favorite nonprofits. These webinars are a public service, there's no fee and you don't have to be from Missouri.

https://bit.ly/catsOctober2025

#cat
#cats
#catsofmastodon
#invasivespecies
#conservation
#naturalist
#birding
#endangeredspecies
#Missouri #Free #Webinar #MissouriRiverBirdObservatory #MRBO

Did you know that domestic cats are the #1 killer of our imperiled native birds? In the US alone they kill 2.4 billion birds each year. More than any other human caused threat, by a long shot.

They may make nice pets, but they top the International Union for Conservation's list of nature's most destructive invasive species.

If you're an environmentalist, a birder, or you just love nature, keep that kitty indoors.

https://abcbirds.org/program/cats-indoors/cats-and-birds/

#cat #cats #catsofmastodon #invasivespecies #conservation #naturalist #birding #endangeredspecies

I believe Mastodon (and the broader fediverse) is chock-full of [conservationist/naturalist/environmentalist] friendly geeks.

Furthermore, there's an unmet demand for posts from non-profit orgs which are working to advance these topics... and quite literally trying to save the world.

Now, if only I could point them to a post with tons of engagement, as proof... hmmm...

🐟 Pssst, I'm fishing for a boost here 🎣

#conservation #naturalist #wildlife #savetheworld #environmentalism #nonprofit #mastodon

I believe Mastodon (and the broader fediverse) is chock-full of [conservationist/naturalist/environmentalist] friendly geeks.

Furthermore, there's an unmet demand for posts from non-profit orgs which are working to advance these topics... and quite literally trying to save the world.

Now, if only I could point them to a post with tons of engagement, as proof... hmmm...

🐟 Pssst, I'm fishing for a boost here 🎣

#conservation #naturalist #wildlife #savetheworld #environmentalism #nonprofit #mastodon

Due to continued silence from iNaturalist about everything, October 31. That’s my deadline. That’s MORE THAN FAIR amount of time for them to:

1) Have a proper outline of the project and exactly what it will be.
2. Have a solid opt-in to the project, so no users are auto opted in without their consent
3. Have added account deletion options from an over-year-old feature request to add ways to delete including without removing ID’s for others along with anonymization. If data loss is really such a problem to them (which I think it should be) not having a way to do such a type of delete should be TOP PRIORITY especially with all this genAI bs going on...already it sounds like some power users have fully deleted their accounts over this, tired of waiting.

- Signed, someone with almost 25k ID’s for others, and almost 4k observations, including some firsts on the site (including new species to science) and other rare reports.

Please boost because I don't think most users know what is going on. All this info is mostly occurring on their separate forum, which you need to make a separate account to join. This is part of the issue of lack of transparency!

#AI#genAI#LLM #programming #computers #nature #naturalist #iNaturalist #iNat #biology #ecology#communityScience #cave #critters #invertebrate #insect