The Camden Public Library, in partnership with the Coastal Mountains Land Trust, plans to host a presentation by Maine Master Naturalist Roger Rittmaster at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 12.

He will discuss the nature app, iNaturalist. This hybrid program will take place in the library’s Picker Room at 55 Main St. as well as on Zoom.

The program will start with the basics of using iNaturalist to identify unknown species, and Rittmaster will demonstrate how to use the Explore function to learn more about plants and animals of interest. He will provide tips and tricks to make the most of this tool and show how it can allow even the most amateur naturalist the ability to communicate with experts all over the world, according to a news release from the library.

To attend virtually, visit the What’s Happening adult events calendar at librarycamden.org.

iNaturalist also offers a wealth of information on plants and animals everywhere. It combines artificial intelligence with input from a worldwide web of natural history experts. By serving as a collection of photos from travels, it can also provide an easily retrievable record of where uses have been and when.

Rittmaster is a retired endocrinologist and avid nature photographer living in Camden. He began using iNaturalist in 2018 to identify and catalog thousands of photos of animals and plants that were collecting virtual dust on the hard drive of his computer. Starting three years ago, he began giving talks to promote iNaturalist as a tool for both personal education about the natural world and for teachers to introduce kids to the wonder of nature. He also is a board member of Coastal Mountains Land Trust, vice-president of the Maine Entomological Society, and former chair of the Camden Conservation Commission.

For more information, call the library at 207-236-3440.

Check out other upcoming area events!