Hello everyone!

I live on a small farm in Windsor, Missouri where I enjoy gardening, plant collecting, and wildflower ID. I have been a member of iNaturalist since March 2018 and thoroughly enjoy the site. I promote iNaturalist on every wildflower page on my own website, The Belmont Rooster, because I hope to recruit more members.

Before I found out about iNaturalist, I was using various other websites, scrolling through hundreds of photos of wildflowers, trying to find the proper ID. Using iNaturalist is so easy it becomes addictive in a good way. If I run across a new species, I just upload a photo and then I get a list of options. Then I view the pages of the suggestions and cross-reference them with another particular site. It has made wildflower ID so much simpler.

I also like the maps that are updated continually as members make observations, whether other members agree or not. When other members agree, the observation becomes research grade. So, when an observation has been made that is out of “the area” where particular species are normally found, the suggested ID is possibly incorrect… That is where the maps on BONAP and the USDA Plants Database can come in handy.

For new members, I would highly suggest taking photos of more than just flowers. When you visit sites such as Missouri Plants, Illinois Wildflowers, and MANY MORE, you will see photos of the whole plant, flowers, leaves, stems, fruit, and so on. It sometimes takes a lot of photos of more than just the flowers to make a proper ID. Without photos, other members may be reluctant to agree and then you don’t really know what you have found and other members can’t make proper suggestions.

There are a few genera I still have difficulty with, like Ranunculus, Solidago, Symphyotrichum, and Vitis… The word “variable” drives me nuts.

I am not trying to promote my own website, but I include links to many other sites to help with a better positive ID and learn about wildflowers.

If you are a botanist, horticulturalist, naturalist, or just someone like me, I invite you to the farm for a tour. If you like walking through the woods… I have a place you may be interested in. I don’t get out much, so the company would be nice as well.

I live in Pettis County, but Henry is across the street. Benton and Johnson Counties aren’t far away. Part of the Katy Trail State Park runs along the south side of the farm and the Farrington Park is on the other side of the trail.

I want to encourage everyone to promote iNaturalist so more members can post observations. Many maps online are out of date, so one that is updated continually is great. Many species have disappeared from their natural habitat as invasive species move in. We need to keep track of what is disappearing.

I wish you all the best! Take care, be safe, and always be thankful!

Lonnie Miller
The Belmont Rooster!
(https://thebelmontrooster.com)