EcoQuest: Make the Grade

iNaturalist has unwrapped the Year in Review, showcasing highlights and scientific triumphs from 2025. We’d like to take a moment to celebrate our Denver-Boulder metro community by sharing local statistics and photos. 

For the Denver EcoFlora project, in 2025 we contributed 138,862 total observations – nearly 48,000 more observations than last year! We spotted 1,461 plant species and 296 fungi and lichen species for a total of 1,757 research-grade species observed in the area. Thirty-three of those species are listed as threatened, vulnerable or endangered. Additionally, 185 research grade species were found that had not been observed previously in the Denver EcoFlora project, which started in 2020. Kudos to the over 7,000 observers and 1,900 identifiers who made this possible! 

Despite this achievement, over 83,000 observations are eagerly awaiting their research-grade gold star (over 60%). In fact, of all the Denver EcoFlora project observations, 47% have not made research grade status. This month let’s work together to practice our identification skills by reviewing these observations so they can make the grade.

To achieve research grade, two or more reviewers must agree on the same species name. Once they’ve made the grade, these observations are uploaded to the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) database of over 1 billion biodiversity records. Your observations can then be used by researchers worldwide to better understand topics such as the past and potential spread of invasive species, the influence of climate change on biodiversity, the role of rare species in protecting critical ecosystem functions, and the identification of priority areas for plant conservation.

You can also use this opportunity to hone your plant and fungal identification skills. Pick a few species – maybe your favorite wildflowers, or a group that’s piqued your curiosity. Learn the characteristics of them and then apply this knowledge to the Denver EcoFlora observations. From the project page on iNaturalist, simply click on “Observations” and then “Identify.” You can narrow this list down by entering a specific species in the search box. We can’t wait to see how many observations make the grade!