Shelli Gray, an administrative assistant for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation's Fisheries Division, never expected that a simple e-newsletter would lead her on an exciting journey of nature discovery. When Shelli read about iNaturalist in the Wild Side, the Wildlife Department's Wildlife Diversity Program e-newsletter, she was inspired to contribute to science with her observations.
iNaturalist is an online platform where users can share and identify nature sightings. It is a space where regular people can become citizen scientists. So far, more than 200 million observations have been made of more than 475,000 species!
For Shelli, iNaturalist fit perfectly with her love for nature photography. "I love nature photography, and when I read about sharing nature sightings through iNaturalist, I thought it might be fun and interesting," she recalled. "I also thought it might be a way to help ID some of my sightings."
Since becoming inspired by the iNaturalist article, Shelli has personally documented 65 observations, each telling a story of adventure and discovery. Her very first observation was a gray petaltail dragonfly which was marked as a new county record when she entered it into the iNaturalist app.
"Having the same name of my sighting (Gray) was cool, but finding out I discovered a county record on my first observation is what really excited me," she said.
📷 Gray's first iNaturalist observation was of a gray petaltail, which was marked as a county record by another naturalist.
Shelli's passion for capturing nature is evident in her lengths to secure the perfect shot. She spent an entire week tracking the elusive gray petaltail dragonfly before finally capturing it on camera. Another challenging subject, a black and white-winged dragonfly, has kept her on her toes, as it rarely stays still long enough for a photo. While plants have yet to appear in her collection, Shelli has successfully photographed various birds, including male and female painted buntings and a summer tanager that frequents her bird feeder.
Shelli's enthusiasm for nature is contagious, particularly when discussing her more intriguing finds, like the Virginia giant hoverfly and predatory stink bug nymphs or the scorpion she discovered that is part of the project: Scorpions of the World.
"When the weather and my schedule cooperate, I head out for nature walks after work and on weekends. I don't always see something to photograph, but I enjoy being outdoors regardless of what I find."
iNat Advice
Shelli is driven by a simple mission: to capture the beauty and wonder of the world around her. For new iNaturalist users, Shelli offers simple, heartfelt advice: "Be patient and enjoy being outdoors. Even if you think an observation isn't extraordinary, it's still worth uploading."
Looking ahead, Shelli has her sights on capturing an indigo bunting and various woodpeckers that are native to her area. Her journey with iNaturalist is far from over, and her excitement continues to inspire others. "You never know when you might have a record sighting," she encourages. "Grab your cell phone, take a walk, snap a pic, and upload it." Shelli Gray invites us all to explore and appreciate the wild side of life.
Ready to start sharing your sightings? Check out this link below for more information on where you can get started.