How to Upload a Manual Observation

Manual observations allow you to record a lichen you have identified yourself and contribute it to the Lichenary database. You do not need any special equipment beyond a way to photograph the lichen, identify it using the official guide, and determine where the observation was made.

1

Find a lichen to observe

Start by finding a lichen growing in a suitable outdoor location. Look carefully at the lichen and take a clear photograph of it. Try to make sure that the lichen is visible enough in the photograph for the observation to be useful.

You can photograph the lichen using a phone or any other camera. If possible, take the photograph in good natural light and avoid covering the organism with your hand or other objects.

2

Identify the lichen

Before uploading your observation, identify the lichen as accurately as possible. You can use the official lichen identification guide to compare the characteristics of the lichen you found with the species shown in the guide. You can find the guide on our resource page, in the About section.

Once you have identified the lichen, enter its species name in the Lichen Species field on the upload page.

Tip: Take your time when identifying the species. If you are unsure, check the identification guide again and compare the visible characteristics of your specimen with the examples provided.
3

Determine the pollution score

After identifying the lichen, find its corresponding pollution score in the official lichen identification guide.

The score should be entered in the Pollution Level (1–10) field on the upload page. Make sure that you enter the score associated with the identified lichen rather than estimating the value yourself.

Important: The pollution score should come from the official identification guide. Check the guide before entering the value so that the observation remains consistent with the other observations in the Lichenary database.
4

Find the location

Next, record where you found the lichen. Enter the name of the location in the Location field. This can be the name of a town, village, park, forest, street, or another useful description of the place.

You will also need the exact latitude and longitude of the observation. You can obtain these coordinates using tools such as Google Maps, your phone's GPS/location services, or another reliable mapping application.

For example: if your latitude is 46.732917, enter it exactly as 46.732917.
5

Enter the coordinates correctly

Coordinates must be entered as decimal numbers. Use a dot as the decimal separator, not a comma. Do not add degree symbols or write the coordinates using degrees, minutes, and seconds.

Correct 46.732917
Not correct 46,732917°
Remember the hemisphere!
Coordinates in the Western Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere should have a minus sign before the number.
  • Western Hemisphere → negative longitude
  • Southern Hemisphere → negative latitude

For example, a southern latitude should be written as -46.732917, rather than 46.732917.

6

Record the date and time

Enter the date and time when you made the observation. This helps keep the observation connected to the correct moment and makes the information more useful for later analysis.

Try to enter the actual date and time when you photographed or observed the lichen rather than the date when you upload it.

7

Upload your observation

Once you have collected all the information, return to the manual observation upload form and enter each value into its corresponding field.

Before pressing Upload, check that your photograph, date and time, location, coordinates, species, and pollution score are all correct.

When everything looks good, submit the observation. Your contribution can then become part of the Lichenary collection and help build a clearer picture of lichen distribution and pollution.

Before you upload