2026年3月22日 / 美国东部时间上午9:20 / CBS新闻
我们与大约1000万种植物、动物、鸟类、鱼类、真菌和昆虫共享这个星球。为了帮助识别这些物种，数百万人正在使用一款免费手机应用。“目前，我们每月约有600万人使用该平台，”非营利组织iNaturalist的执行董事斯科特·洛里（Scott Loarie）表示。
有人用这款应用有过什么很酷的发现吗？“这种事经常发生，”洛里说，“几乎每个月我们都会有新物种被描述。
使用iNaturalist应用。CBS新闻
他最喜欢的一个故事涉及安第斯山脉的一个人，他的小屋被一只鼬入侵：“他抓起相机，拍下了这种物种的首批照片，而它们恰好正坐在小屋的马桶上。我很自豪地说，‘马桶鼬’（#ToiletWeasel）在那之后成了推特上的热门话题！”
但事实证明，这款应用还有一个“隐形”功能：它可以将你的照片分享给科学家。“这不仅仅是一张照片，它包含了日期和位置信息，”洛里说，“事实证明，现在地球上大多数物种的大部分数据都来自这个小小的应用。”
到目前为止，iNaturalist的爱好者们已经在197个国家完成了3亿次物种观测，每年为数十万种物种提供数据。这些数据让科学家能够了解地球上生命的变化情况。
这些数据可以追踪入侵物种的长期活动，比如从中国入侵并正在侵占美国东海岸的斑衣蜡蝉。
来自iNaturalist用户的数据帮助追踪入侵物种（如斑衣蜡蝉）的迁徙。CBS新闻
但这不仅仅关乎物种的迁徙，还关乎物种的“消失”。“目前最准确的预测是，到本世纪末，我们将失去约三分之一的物种，”洛里说。
但我们是否应该关心那些我们从未听说过的“小众”物种呢？
“我喜欢用一个类比：地球就像一架飞机，我们正处于飞行中，”洛里回答道，“每次一个物种灭绝，就像我们从飞机上拧下了一颗铆钉。长此以往，整个机翼最终会脱落。但我们不确定是哪颗铆钉（即哪个物种的灭绝）会导致这一后果。所以，我们首先要做的是停止拧下铆钉。”
这款应用尤其适合与他人一起使用，这样更有趣。
全球用户收集的照片和数据正在帮助科学家研究物种健康状况。CBS新闻
我们参加了一场“生物闪电战”（BioBlitz）——一场友好的限时竞赛，各队在一小时内比拼谁能发现最多的物种。这场活动由一位深谙自然之道的人士主持：玛莎·斯图尔特（Martha Stewart），在她位于纽约贝德福德的家中。
玛莎·斯图尔特参与在她纽约农场举办的“生物闪电战”，识别物种。CBS新闻
在一小时内，我们小组识别出了458种不同的物种。洛里与斯图尔特一起查看了部分发现结果：“这里有一只漂亮的小蛾子，还有这只小刺客虫，以及不同种类的蜗牛和蝴蝶。每一次这样的观察，都能让我们了解到这里存在的各种动植物，以及你在农场为这些物种提供的栖息地类型。”
对洛里来说，这项工作永远不会让人觉得乏味。“人们会说，‘哇，我实际上是解决方案的一部分。通过我拍的这张照片，我在帮助科学，帮助我们保护这些与我共享地球的物种。’”
iNaturalist的斯科特·洛里查看在玛莎·斯图尔特农场发现的458种不同物种。CBS新闻
玛莎·斯图尔特会表示同意——尽管她可能并不需要这款应用，因为她对每只虫子和每片叶子都了如指掌。“但那是因为我在这里住了20多年，”她笑着说，“不过，这款应用确实教会了我昆虫和蝴蝶的植物学名和生物学名。我每天都能学到新东西！”
了解更多信息：
- iNaturalist应用
- 全球生物多样性信息设施（GBIF）
- marthastewart.com
本文由罗宾·麦克法登（Robbyn McFadden）制作。编辑：查德·卡丹（Chad Cardin）。
有趣的自然应用如何助力科学
[有趣的自然应用如何助力科学 05:49]
有趣的自然应用如何助力科学
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https://www.cbsnews.com/video/how-inaturalist-app-aids-science/
How iNaturalist app users have fun while aiding science
March 22, 2026 / 9:20 AM EDT / CBS News
We share our planet with maybe 10 million species of plants, animals, birds, fish, fungi and bugs. And to help identify them, millions of people are using a free phone app. “Currently we have about six million people using the platform every month,” said Scott Loarie, the executive director of iNaturalist, a nonprofit.
Has anyone made a cool discovery using the app? “It happens all the time,” Loarie said. “Almost every month we get a new species described.
Using the iNaturalist app. CBS News
One of his favorites stories involved someone in the Andes whose cabin was invaded by a weasel: “He grabs his camera. The first-ever photographs of these species, and they happen to be sitting on a toilet in this cabin. I’m very proud to say that #ToiletWeasel was trending on Twitter after that!”
But it turns out that this app has a stealth function: It can share your photos with scientists. “It’s not just a photo. It has a date, it has a location,” said Loarie. “It turns out that most data for most species on the planet now is coming from this little app.”
So far, iNaturalist fans have made 300 million sightings in all 197 countries, providing data on hundreds of thousands of species a year. They let scientists see what’s happening to life on Earth.
The data can track the movements of invasive species over time, like the lanternfly, which came from China and is now taking over the U.S. East Coast.
Data from iNaturalist users helps track the migration of invasive species, like the spotted lanternfly. CBS News
But it’s not just about species moving. It’s also about species disappearing. “The best predictions now are that we’re going to lose about one in three by the end of the century,” Loarie said.
But should we care about obscure species that we’ve never heard about in the first place?
“An analogy I like is that the Earth is this plane, that we’re in mid-flight,” Loarie replied. “Every time a species goes extinct, that’s like us popping a rivet off. So, at some point the whole wing is gonna fall off. But we don’t exactly know which rivet, which species extinction is gonna drive that. So, the first thing we need to do is stop popping rivets off.”
This app is especially fun to use with other people.
Photos and data collected by app users all over the world are aiding scientists studying the health of species. CBS News
We attended a “BioBlitz,” a friendly timed competition, where teams set out to see who could find the most species in the span of one hour. This one was being hosted by someone who knows a lot about nature: Martha Stewart, at her home in Bedford, New York.
Martha Stewart joins a “BioBlitz,” to identify species at her New York farm. CBS News
In one hour, our little group had identified 458 different species. Loarie reviewed some of the findings with Stewart: “Beautiful little moth right here. This little assassin bug. Different kinds of snails and butterflies. Each one of these observations will give us a snapshot of all the different plants and animals that are here, and the kind of habitat that you’ve provided for all these species on your farm.”
For Loarie, it never gets old. “People go like, ‘Wow, I’m actually part of the solution. By me taking this photo, I’m helping science. I’m helping us protect these species that I share the planet with.’”
Scott Loarie of iNaturalist reviews some of the 458 different species found on Martha Stewart’s farm. CBS News
Martha Stewart would agree – though maybe she didn’t need the app, because she knew every bug and leaf. “But that’s because I’ve lived here now for more than 20 years,” she laughed. “And yet, the app really teaches me the botanical names, the biological names of the bugs and the butterflies. I learn something new every day!”
For more info:
- iNaturalist app
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
- marthastewart.com
Story produced by Robbyn McFadden. Editor: Chad Cardin.
How a fun nature app aids science
[How a fun nature app aids science 05:49]
How a fun nature app aids science
(05:49)
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/how-inaturalist-app-aids-science/
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