The surprising power of your nature photos | Scott Loarie

Summary

Detailed Summary of "The Surprising Power of Your Nature Photos" | Scott Loarie | TED Talks Daily

In the June 11, 2025 episode of TED Talks Daily, biologist and entrepreneur Scott Loarie delivers an inspiring presentation titled "The Surprising Power of Your Nature Photos." Hosted by Elise Hu, the talk delves into the critical role citizen science plays in combating the global extinction crisis by engaging everyday individuals in biodiversity conservation through nature photography.

1. The Extinction and Attention Crisis

Scott Loarie begins by highlighting the gravity of the current extinction crisis. He states, "By the end of the century, scientists believe that up to one third of animal life on this planet could be gone" (03:51). This alarming statistic underscores the urgent need for innovative solutions to preserve biodiversity.

He further explains that the crisis isn't solely about species loss but also about our diminishing connection to the natural world. "This just isn't an extinction crisis. It's also an attention crisis. I mean, we're more disconnected from the natural world than ever before." (07:45) This disconnection leads to apathy, hindering conservation efforts.

2. The Power of Citizen Science

Loarie introduces Inaturalist, a citizen science project he leads, as a pivotal tool in addressing these crises. He recounts the rediscovery of the Frosted Phoenix moth in New Zealand, a species believed extinct for a century. This breakthrough occurred when a Swedish bird watcher, a non-scientist, photographed the moth, thereby solving a long-standing scientific mystery (04:15).

“We can keep track of, manage and protect all of these species by engaging millions of everyday, regular people,” Loarie emphasizes (09:30). He illustrates how Inaturalist leverages the collective efforts of millions globally to build a comprehensive atlas of the natural world, encompassing hundreds of millions of observations.

3. Real-World Impact and Discoveries

Loarie shares several compelling stories demonstrating the tangible impact of citizen science:

• Glenda Walter, a retiree in Australia, discovered a new species of praying mantis, Enimia nat, through her observations on Inaturalist (06:20).
• Abigail Deposo, a student in Ecuador, identified a new butterfly species during a class field trip (07:10).
• Deb Manley found a new plant species in Big Bend National Park, Texas, highlighting that even well-studied areas and species groups can yield new discoveries (08:00).
• Juan Deru, a Colombian architect, captured images of the elusive Colombian weasel, an animal previously known only from museum specimens (10:45).

These anecdotes illustrate how ordinary individuals contribute significantly to scientific knowledge, bridging gaps that professional scientists alone cannot fill.

4. Building a Global Scientific Community

Loarie discusses the exponential growth of Inaturalist from a master's project at UC Berkeley to a leading citizen science platform with millions of users. “We now have hundreds of millions of observations representing 1 in 4 of all species on the planet,” he notes (12:15). These extensive datasets are invaluable for scientists and land managers to monitor ecosystems, track species distribution, and respond to environmental changes.

5. Empowering Grassroots Conservation Efforts

Beyond data collection, citizen science fosters community-driven conservation projects. Loarie highlights initiatives like bioblitzes, where communities collaborate to inventory local biodiversity. Such events have evolved into grand-scale endeavors like the City Nature Challenge, now the largest annual census of life on Earth (13:20).

He shares inspiring examples of grassroots actions:

• Heather Holm in Minnesota organized habitat restoration efforts to protect declining bumblebees by removing invasive species and planting wildflowers (13:45).
• Sally Gale in California formed amphibian crossing guards to safeguard newts and frogs from road traffic, using data to design safer wildlife crossings (14:00).

These stories exemplify "actionable hope," where individual actions collectively contribute to significant environmental improvements.

6. Vision for the Future

Looking ahead, Loarie outlines ambitious goals:

• Connecting 100 Million People to Nature by 2030: Engaging a vast number of individuals to participate in biodiversity census efforts.
• Launching a Million Grassroots Projects: Inspiring local initiatives to restore habitats and protect countless species (13:30).

He underscores that the extinction crisis is too vast for any single entity to tackle alone but can be mitigated through collective small actions.

7. Call to Action

Loarie concludes with a heartfelt appeal: “The next time you're outside, just take a minute to realize that you're part of an ecosystem that we still know so little about and that needs your help.” (14:50). He urges listeners to notice the flora and fauna around them, photograph it, and share their observations through platforms like Inaturalist, thereby contributing to scientific knowledge and fostering a deeper connection with nature.

Q&A with Chris Anderson

Following the talk, Scott Laurie engages in a brief yet insightful Q&A with Chris Anderson, the head of TED.

Chris Anderson asks: “How many days do you wake up sort of sick to your stomach with despair? And how many days hopeful? And how do you manage that roller coaster?” (14:12)

Scott Laurie responds candidly: “It's really tough... what keeps me going is embracing new ideas, new thinking that can solve these problems. Because if we're just watching the world burn, it's really hard to get out of bed.” (14:37) He emphasizes the importance of community and innovative solutions in maintaining hope amidst overwhelming environmental challenges.

Chris Anderson concludes by thanking Laurie for his inspiration, highlighting the profound impact of his work (15:08).

Conclusion

Scott Loarie's talk on TED Talks Daily serves as a powerful testament to the untapped potential of citizen science in addressing the global extinction crisis. By empowering individuals to observe, document, and share their encounters with nature, platforms like Inaturalist not only enrich scientific understanding but also rekindle humanity's bond with the natural world. Loarie's vision of collective action offers a beacon of hope, demonstrating that every small contribution can collectively forge a path toward a more biodiverse and sustainable future.

Transcript

[Elise Hu]

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You're listening to TED Talks Daily where we bring you new ideas and conversations to spark your curiosity every day. I'm your host, Elise Hume. We are in an extinction crisis. By the end of the century, scientists believe that up to one third of animal life on this planet could be gone. That's huge problem for so many reasons and according to biologist and entrepreneur Scott Laurie, we can help more than we know. In his talk, he shares the power of citizen science and why we should all be taking out our phones and snapping a photo of that cool insect or bird. We see way more for the sake of the Earth and stick around for a brief Q and A between Scott and head of TED Chris Anderson after the talk.

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[Scott Laurie]

I want to share what's possible when we notice nature. Let's start with this New Zealand moth from about a century ago. It's got this fantastic name. It's called the frosted phoenix. It's also been called the holy grail of New Zealand moths. And it's been missing for about a century and scientists thought that it was extinct. And then about a year ago, the frosted phoenix rose again. This picture was noticed by scientists on a citizen science project that I helped lead. But the photographer wasn't a scientist. He was a Swedish bird watcher. He's a schoolteacher. He likes birds. And he was down in New Zealand to look for kiwi birds. So kiwi are these amazing little nocturnal birds that walk around on beaches. You have to go out at night to see them. So he goes out at night to see kiwi birds. He's actually walking back to his hotel. So he's walking up the stairs and he notices this moth on his hotel balcony. So he takes a photo of it, posts it and goes to bed, not realizing that he just helped solve a century old science mystery. So this is why this is important. I mean, the frosted phoenix isn't alone. It's one of over 2 million species like these that we share the planet with. There's probably many more. It's probably more like 10 million. All right. With so many species, it's no wonder that the frosted phoenix just fell off the radar. I mean, we don't have enough scientists, we don't have enough professionals to keep track of all of these, let alone manage them or protect them. The problem is these species are really important. They form the foundations of our life support systems. And we're losing them. We're losing them faster and faster. In fact, scientists think that with habitat destruction and climate change, we're going to lose a third. That's one in three by the end of the century. That's a really big problem. That's the extinction crisis. But this just isn't an extinction crisis. It's also an attention crisis. I mean, we're more disconnected from the natural world than ever before. If we're not noticing these species, if we're not noticing what's happening to them, that means we don't care about them. And if we don't care, then why would we protect them? But here's the good news. We can keep track of, manage and protect all of these species by engaging millions of everyday, regular people. And through this participation, we can get people to start caring about nature again. We can start repairing this connection with the natural world. That's the power of citizen science. So I've seen this firsthand with the citizen science project that I lead, which is called Inaturalist. So how's it work? So you go outside, you take a picture of any living thing, and first the AI will identify it, but then you share it. You share it with a global community of scientists and naturalists, and they'll help vet it and turn it into scientific data. So this is data that's used by scientists to track species, to understand how ecosystems are changing, and even to describe new kinds of plants and animals. So Inaturalist started as a master's project at UC Berkeley, and over the last 15 years, I've helped it grow into one of the world's largest citizen science projects. So we now have millions of people around the world who are doing this, posting their photos. And this community has built this really amazing, living, breathing atlas of the natural world. We now have hundreds of millions of observations representing 1 in 4 of all species on the planet. And these are thanks. These are data that are used by AI models by land managers and by scientists in thousands of studies. But remember, each one of these observations is an encounter between a regular, everyday person in the natural world. And some of them are really great. This is Glenda Walter. She's a retiree in Australia and she was out on a walk and she noticed this little mantis. She took a picture of it. It's an entirely new species of praying mantis. It was given the name Enimia nat, which abbreviates to inat. INAT is the nickname for inaturalist. In honor of this kind of collaboration between regular, everyday people and scientists, we've seen hundreds of discoveries like this. This is Abigail Deposo. She's a student in Ecuador and she was actually on a class field trip and she noticed this butterfly, posted a picture of it. It's a completely new species of butterfly. Just this February, Deb Manley was in Big Bend national park in Texas, and she was on a hike and she saw this little flower that she didn't recognize, so she took a photo of it, and again, it's a completely new species of plant. And that's inside of a national park inside of the United States, even in super well studied groups like birds. So this is Tom Veras, and he's a filmmaker. So he was in Papua New guinea on a scouting trip. He saw this hawk up in the tree. So he takes a photograph of it and it hasn't been seen for 55 years. But this is my favorite story. This is Juan Deru. He's a Colombian architect, and he was in this really remote cabin in the Andes. And all of a sudden this weasel jumps into the cabin. You know, it's running around inside the bathroom, knocking things over. So he grabs his camera and he takes these pictures of the elusive Colombian weasel. So it starts out, this is an animal that the day before was only known from skins inside of museums. And then this discovery gins up a bunch of attention on the media. Science colliding with the natural world, modern world. But when you put all this together, we're getting for the first time, a real time look at how ecosystems are changing on a global scale. In California, the Department of Fish and Wildlife are using these data to build a marine health early warning system to see how climate change is impacting marine protected areas up and down the coast. And this is all powered by regular people, not professional scientists. I mean, so many people think that science isn't for them. I can't be a scientist. I don't have a degree, I'm not an expert. But science isn't just for scientists. Everybody can participate. But here's what interests me, is that taking photographs, noticing starfish and plants, it doesn't just change what we know about the natural world, it changes us. Because each one of these photographs and observations is this very personal act of curiosity and action and participation. It changes our relationship with nature. It doesn't just help science, it helps us care about the nature that's in our lives. And I think that's the most important tool for conservation of all of this. You know, in the early days of in naturalist, I'm a scientist, so I was just really focused on scaling data. And I was thinking, you know, if we can get more people involved, we can get more data. You know, that's what we need. But what I didn't realize is when these communities, you know, they're what's driving this. And when they reach a certain scale, really interesting things start to happen. We're seeing people use inaturalist in ways that we never imagined. We're seeing people use it to organize. So a bioblitz is a community led nature inventory where people come together in real life to inventory nature. These are the kind of engines for grassroots capacity building that we need to end the extinction crisis. And when people see that they're doing something that's bigger than themselves, that's part of a global effort, that's when we believe that our actions really can make a difference. So the City Nature Challenge, it started out as a friendly competition between Los Angeles and San Francisco City, saying, hey, let's hold bioblitzes on the same day in April. And then totally organically, it's grown into this annual event where thousands of groups across hundreds of cities all conduct simultaneous bioblitzes. It's now the largest annual census of life on earth. But it's more than that. I mean, to me, this is a celebration that our actions really can make a difference. It's think globally, act locally in action. Because at this local scale, there really is this connection between noticing to actually stewarding and improving habitat. This is Heather Holm. She was leading efforts to monitor pollinators, bees and butterflies. In Minnesota, she started noticing that these rusty patch bumblebees were declining. She rallied her community to do something about it. They are coming out to actually restore the habitats that the bees depend on. So that's pulling out invasive buckthorn, planting wildflowers, attracting the bees. So it's going from noticing to actually stewarding and protecting. In California, Sally Gale, she couldn't bear noticing all these newts and frogs that were getting hit by cars as they cross the roads to breed. So she rallied her community as amphibian crossing guards. So they go out on rainy nights and they shepherd newts and frogs across the roads. I mean, they're literally saving these newts and frogs one bucket at a time. And then they use these data to design and build underpasses to help amphibians cross safely. I mean, Sally didn't wait for someone else to fix this. These kinds of solutions, they don't have to wait for our governments to wake up. Anybody can start these things, kick these off. I call this actionable hope. We live in this age of just overwhelming environmental crisis. And it's so easy to just throw up your hands and say, hey, there's nothing we can do about this. But this is a path forward, not through passive despair, but through active participation. Our goal by 2030 is to try to get 100 million people connected to nature to census most of the world's species and to inspire and network a million grassroots projects like these to restore habitats for tens of thousands of species. The extinction crisis is too big for any one of us to solve alone. But if we all do our small part, we can solve this. So this is what I want you to do. The next time you're outside, just take a minute to realize that you're part of an ecosystem that we still know so little about and that needs your help. And then just notice something like, maybe it's a moth on your balcony. Maybe it's like a fern growing through a crack in the sidewalk. And then take a photograph of it and share it. Share it with science. I mean, be a part of this responsibility. We have to understand and protect the natural world. Because solving the extinction crisis isn't just for scientists. It's the shared human project. It's one you absolutely can contribute to. And it just starts with noticing nature. Thank.

[Chris Anderson]

I just. Thank you. So great to have you here. Just give me your sense of your emotional landscape. You've seen, you know, more than most people about what we're losing. You've seen all these inspiring on the ground stories. How many days do you wake up sort of sick to your stomach with despair? And how many days hopeful? And how do you manage that roller coaster?

[Scott Laurie]

Yeah, it's really tough. And I think that's one of the things that is hard when you're an environmentalist is all these challenges are these hockey stick curves. It's like CO2 extinction. Everything's going up, and it's hard to find solutions that have the potential to do that. And that's what I think is so inspiring about the TED community, is we sort of still have this solving problems, but we're actually embracing new ideas, new thinking that can do that. And that's what keeps me going. Because if we're just watching the world burn, it's really hard to get out of bed.

[Chris Anderson]

Thank you for your inspiration. It's phenomenal.

[Elise Hu]

That was Scott Laurie at TED 2025. If you're curious about TED's curation, find out [e-mail] curationguidelines and that's it for today's show. TED Talks Daily is part of the TED Audio Collective. This episode was produced and edited by our team, Martha Estefanos, Oliver Friedman, Brian Greene, Lucy Little, Alejandra Salazar and Tonsika Sarmarnivon. It was mixed by Christopher Faizy Bogan. Additional support from Emma Tobner and Daniela Ballaraizo. I'm Elise Hu. I'll be back tomorrow with a fresh idea for your feed. Thanks for listening.

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