You can enter the filename generated by your camera (e.g., DSCN2634.JPG) or, if you renamed the file (e.g., Lobelia_cardinalis_1.jpg), you can enter that name. Please make sure that filenames listed in the datasheet match the names of the submitted photos, because we will use them to track the photos through the processing and uploading.

Scientific name is preferred. Attempt to identify the plant to the species level and, where applicable, to subspecies or variety.

Please enter your name as you want it to appear in the photo credit (e.g., Abraham Lincoln vs. Abe Lincoln).

The date should automatically be recorded by your camera and associated with your photo’s filename. Of course, be sure your camera's date and time setting is correct before taking pictures. The standardized date format used for international databasing (= Darwin Core Standard) is YYYY-MM-DD (e.g., February 13, 2021 is recorded as 2021-02-13).

We prefer photographs of the species as they appear in Indiana, but our primary concern is getting good photographs of the species. For those of you living near or in bordering states, photographs from your region are acceptable.

Most, but not all, counties have a single spelling. According the relevant county clerks, they accept variant spellings, but the correct spellings (as indicated in the Hunting Lists page) are: DeKalb, La Porte, LaGrange, and St. Joseph).

A complete locality description should include state, county, and place name from Google maps. Add to the place name further specifics of road ID, distance, and compass direction.

• Example 1: Grant County, 0.25 miles N of Upland on SR 5.
• Example 2: Monroe County, Pate Hollow Trail, ca. 0.4 miles NW of intersection of SR 446 and Paynetown Road.

Please use the decimal format when recording the latitude and longitude of the plant's location.

Finding latitude + longitude on your mobile device.

• Apple Maps:
  • Tap the information icon at the top right of the screen.
  • This should pull up “Marked Location.” Scroll down below the estimated address, and you should see the latitude and longitude coordinates of your location.
• Google Maps:
  • Touch and hold an area of the map that isn’t labeled (the blue circle icon denotes your current location). A red pin should appear.
  • At the bottom, tap “Dropped pin” (or the estimated address) and your coordinates will be listed. If you’re at an established address, you might have to scroll a bit to see the latitude and longitude.

Some habitat examples: road verge (shaded or unshaded), oak-hickory woods on south facing slope, old field, margin of pond (shaded or unshaded), marsh (i.e., open wetland), swamp (i.e., a wooded wetland), bog, fen.