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Montana Natural Heritage Program

Data Submission Forms and Tools

Below are links to forms and applications for submitting survey and observation data related to native botanical species, animals, non-native species, and habitat or species photos. To ensure your data is efficiently and quickly integrated into our system, we recommend using iNaturalist and Survey123, especially if you plan to submit data regularly.

Which Method Should I Use?

iNaturalist
Recommended for the general public, and also useful for biologists and natural resource managers when species identification may be uncertain. The global iNaturalist community can assist with verifying species identifications.

Survey123
Best suited for professional biologists and resource managers with confident species identifications. Custom forms can support formal surveys and specialized data collection.

  • Our two most widely applicable Survey123 forms are linked below: the Heritage Obs Collector and Rapid Weed Reporter.
  • For many standardized surveys, we offer forms aligned with established protocols.
  • Need a custom form? We’re happy to help create one tailored to your project to support consistent data collection and integration into our databases.

Botanical Observation Forms
Designed for professional biologists and resource managers with high certainty of species identification, especially for Species of Concern.

  • These forms support detailed data collection on threats, associated species, and other relevant comments.
  • Bulk submission of previously collected or digitized data may be easier using the spreadsheets.

If you have questions about the most efficient way to send data to us or if you have a digital dataset, please contact us at mtnhp@mt.gov to discuss the best submission method.

Native Botanical Observations

Animal Observations

Non-native Species Observations

Photograph and Illustration Submissions

If you are interested in contributing photographs or illustrations to the Montana Natural Heritage Program, please reach out to us at mtnhp@mt.gov to arrange the submission. You will be asked to read and sign our Authorization for Use of Visual Materials form below.