Smokies Most Wanted

We need iNaturalist observations of these species in Great Smoky Mountains National Park! Every observation you add gives us another datapoint about where and when these species occur in the Smokies. We use them to map and learn about these species, helping park officials make informed conservation decisions. It's easy. It's fun. It's science!

Why these species?

These species include many that we just need a few more observations of in order to map in Atlas of the Smokies. It also includes exotic species, both those that are present and not yet present in the park, that the NPS wants to keep an eye on. There are also some species that are of special interest to the park or to park researchers.

Can I make iNaturalist observations of other species from the park that aren't on this list?

Certainly! Every observation is helpful to us, whether its of a species on this list or of something else. The more observations we have for a species, the more we can learn about its natural history, which helps the park better protect it.

Who maintains this list?

This list is maintained by Discover Life in America in cooperation with GSMNP as part of our Smokies Most Wanted initiative. We periodically rotate species out of this list and replace them with under-documented species, so check back periodically.

What have other park visitors reported in the park?

Check out our Smokies ATBI project on iNaturalist.

• PDF version of this list

(Smokies Most Wanted was formerly known as Species SnapIt & MapIt) less ↑