Observe

Record what you see

Species, when, roughly where, and how public you want it. Keep place simple — county or watershed is plenty. Photos that stop you cold also belong in Community.

Species

Date observed

Count

County (generalized)

Watershed / corridor

Behavior (optional)

Field notes

Who can see this record

Public recordSpecies, date, and a generalized place appear on species pages and in the public registry once verified. Your name is not attached unless you ask.Private recordKept in the registry and counted in totals, but never listed, mapped, or attributed. Use this when you are unsure.

One thing is not your choice, and not ours. If a species is listed as a Montana Species of Concern, Threatened, or Endangered, its location is generalized on every public surface regardless of what you select here. A precise nest, den, or roost coordinate is the exact thing that gets an animal harassed, poached, or trampled by a hundred photographers. We always err coarse.

I confirm this is my observation (or I have permission to share it), and place is generalized to county or watershed only.