[wanderr]

Ah, you are right, I've been misinformed this whole time! Not created by Cal Academy.

I am a little unclear on what you mean by not science. The secrecy around their models certainly makes them not open, but are you saying that any research based on the data is not science?

[contingencies]

Science is systematic, evidence‑based inquiry into the natural world that produces testable explanations and predictions, and a core part of calling something “scientific” is that its claims are replicable by others.

That means, if a large part of iNaturalist's ongoing activity (which they are sheltering from government taxation under a public interest Science claim) is refining an inference model offered only as a service, it's not capital-S Science unless they make the model build path open and others can replicate and test it freely.

There's actually a fair case that it's the exact opposite, as a public encouragement to systemic ignorance and belief without evidence.