Before submitting your query, we recommend checking our FAQ section for potential solutions.
If you still require assistance, you may submit your inquiry using the “Contact Us” email service. While we'll do our best to address your concerns, please understand that response times may vary. Thank you for your understanding.
Thank you.
Registering & Submitted Observational Reports
- What browser should I use? Does it matter what Operating System I am using?
Please use Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Safari, or Firefox. Journey North does not support Internet Explorer.
Yes, Journey North’s website functionality is not compatible with Mac OS 8&9; MS Windows Vista; MS Windows XP; or MS Windows 7.
- Do I need to register with Journey North to submit an observational report/sighting?
Yes, you need to set up an account with Journey North. Go to our Registration page and fill out the online registration profile.
- How do I update my email address, change my username, and/or adjust my profile information?
You can update your information, including your email address, on the Journey North Registration page "edit your profile" page.
- How do I change my account username?
This type of change needs to be made by emailing Journey North staff at: journey.north.help@gmail.com.
- How do I delete my registration/account with Journey North?
Journey North does not delete accounts. You can unsubscribe here.
- Am I able to merge my two registrations and observational reports/sightings from my two different email addresses that I used to set up my registration accounts with Journey North?
For now, we are not able to merge email addresses and observational reports/sightings from two different registrations.
- What do I do if I forgot my password?
To reset your password, first click the reset password tab on this page. Make sure to check your spam folder if you do not see the password reset email in your inbox.
When you request to reset your password, you must go to your email inbox and respond relatively soon by following the hyperlink to your registration account. If you wait too long, the hyperlink expires.
If you request to reset your password more than once, please use the most recent email you received from Journey North. This most recent hyperlink deactivates all previous emails from Journey North for resetting your password. You will receive an "expired token" message or "invalid code” if you attempt to use one of the older emails.
It also is a good idea to clear your browser history before trying again.
Submitting Your Observational Reports
- How do I submit an observational report/sighting?
If you have not yet reported to Journey North previous, make sure you are register and logged in before you attempt to submit an observation on our Sightings page. You can register here.
Once you are registered and logged in, submit your observational reports (aka sightings) on our Sightings page.
The screen should display this greeting: "Hi (Your Name Here)!" You are now ready to submit your observational report/sighting. If this greeting does not appear, please see Journey North’s compatibility requirements above.
If working from within a school, sometimes there are school-specific firewall issues for which an educator should check with their school IT person.
- Is there any way to save my map settings? I'm generally just reporting for my yard, so it would be nice not to have to remember to move the pin for the report location.
The map location pin defaults automatically to the address you used to register. If this location is NOT the actual location of your observation, you can modify the location by (1) moving the location pin directly on the map; (2) entering a different address in the field provided; or (3) entering the latitude and longitude of your observation in the field provided.
If you think you will be reporting from one location primarily, you are now able to set a "primary location" when you first register. If you don't set a primary at this time, you will be able to set a primary location when you enter your first observational report.
- Each time I submit an entry, I must start all over again to enter a new one. I would like to be able to make notes offline and then enter a series of sightings without having to re-initialize after each. Is there a way to do this?
Each observational report/sighting must be submitted separately and at one time. Unfortunately, you cannot save an observational report/sighting while offline and submit it later.
- Is there a mobile app?
Yes, the new data entry portal is mobile-friendly. You do not need to download this app. The app is embedded on the Journey North website.
- Can I delete/change/edit an observational report/sighting I have submitted?
The new data entry portal now allows volunteers to edit their observational reports before submission. Volunteers can also choose not to submit. We do not have a built-in 'delete' option for volunteers after submission.
- How do I view the observational reports/sightings I’ve submitted to Journey North?
You can view all of your observational reports/sightings by clicking the My Sightings blue button at the bottom of the Sightings page on the Journey North website.
Make sure you are logged in to your account, which uses the same email address you used to register with Journey North.
- How many photos can I upload? Can I upload a video
Only one photo for each observational report can be uploaded. You can create one photo with a collage of images if you’d like to feature more than one image per report. However, Journey North would prefer ONE image per report. These photos provide an important voucher for each observation.
The new data entry app now allows volunteers to link videos of observations. These videos need to be hosted on other platforms such as a volunteer's Facebook page or YouTube channel.
- Do I need to adjust the orientation of my photo?
Yes, please correct the rotation of your photo before uploading it to your report by using our photo rotation features.
Our Journey North Maps
- Where are the maps with individual observer reports?
The maps can be found under the Maps tab on our website by clicking here.
- I don’t see my dot on the map for my observation. Why is that?
If a volunteer is reporting multiple observations from one location, the location pins (or map features) associated with their reports are stacked on a single latitude and longitude. As a season progresses, it can become harder to see location pins entered. Location pins reported recently can hide location pins associated with older reports.
All of our observational reports (aka sightings) can be found by clicking on the View Data button on each map page. This data table allows you to sort by each heading topic.
- Where are the summer and winter maps?
Journey North collects observational reports (aka sightings) on maps spanning two seasons each year–spring and fall. For Journey North, the dates for these two seasons are:
Spring: January 1 - July 31 | Fall: August 1 - December 31.
The maps that show on our website’s Maps webpage are the current season’s maps; however, you can toggle through the pull-down menus for the previous season and year maps and data.
Our Species & Project Protocols
- Where can I find more resources about the species that Journey North tracks?
You can click on the Projects tab, linked here .
You can select the species you'd like to learn more about, say for monarchs, and then select the Resources tab (please note that this hyperlinks directs you to the Monarch & Milkweed Project page as example.)
You also can click on our website News tab, linked here. This is where you can read current news shared by Journey North about seasonal changes and migration patterns.
Within each update is a blue button to subscribe to our news updates. Please consider subscribing, if you haven’t already.
Journey North Educational Resources
- How do I access educational resources on the Journey North website?
You can click on the Projects page. You can select the species you'd like to learn more about and then select the Resources pages found on each project page. For example, first go to the Monarch & Milkweed Project page then select the Resources page which will take you to various materials on species identification, life and annual cycles, and articles...to name just a few content pieces.
You also can click on our News tab, linked here. There you can read about seasonal changes and migration patterns. Within each News update is a blue button to subscribe to our updates if you haven’t already.
Please note: The Educators tab on our Journey North site, found here also has several teaching resources.
- I have a question about an injured or stranded animal.
We recommend you contact the wildlife rehabilitation center of your local Department of Natural Resources for answers.
Symbolic Migration
- Where can I learn more about the Symbolic Migration project with Journey North?
Please note that Monarchs Across Georgia manages the Passenger Ticket purchases and the administration of the Symbolic Migration; Journey North manages the mapping of participants.
You can refer to the Symbolic Migration project website and the Journey North website for more information about how to participate in the Symbolic Migration project.
If you have a question about purchasing your tickets and learning more about your Monarch Ambassadors, please refer to the Symbolic Migration webpage managed by Monarchs Across Georgia.
Tulip Test Garden
- Where can I go to learn more about the Tulip Test Garden project with Journey North, including how to plant tulips and from where I can order bulbs?
You can refer to the Tulip Test Garden Project page on the Journey North website for more information.
Mystery Class
- Where can I go to learn more about the Mystery Class project with Journey North?
Unfortunately, due to budgetary and staffing limitations, we had to make the difficult decision to cancel the Mystery Class project. The Journey North website will continue to maintain project materials in an archive library. You will still be able to access Mystery Class project materials to assist you in exploring seasonal change with your students. We have provided a few key navigational links to access these resources:
Journey North archived projects.
Mystery Class activities and educational support materials.
2020 Mystery Class materials.
You may wish to consider participating in other Journey North projects such as Tulip Test Garden, Symbolic Migration, and many more.
News Update Subscriptions
- How do I subscribe to the Journey North News Updates?
You can subscribe to our newsletters by following these steps:
- Go to the NEWS tab on our Journey North website.
- Select one of the news stories you see on that page.
- There will be a blue Subscribe rectangle with a little envelope on the top right side of the page. Click to subscribe.
- You then will see a box pop up that allows you to enter your name and email address as well as being able to select the species for which you'd like to receive news updates.
- How do I unsubscribe from news updates or adjust my preferences for these updates?
You can unsubscribe from news updates here.
Donate Today
- How can I donate to the efforts of Journey North?
You can donate by clicking here. Thank you!
- Do you take PayPal?
No, we do not. The only way to donate is through the UW Foundation or by mailing a check.
Request for Speaker and Interviews
- Do you speak at conferences or outreach events?
Unfortunately, we do not have a travel budget to participate in conferences or outreach events unless an honorarium or funding is offered. There is potential for virtual participation by Journey North as well as materials for sharing (e.g., brochures, flyers, etc.)
Permissions – Use of Data and Images
- Do I have permission to use images, graphs, and other content from the Journey North website?
We allow people to use Journey North images and graphics; however, they must include an acknowledgment of the volunteer who took the photo as well as acknowledging Journey North, with our website visible (journeynorth.org). We also would appreciate a short description of Journey North in your materials, which helps to promote the program. That acknowledgment is: "We wish to thank Journey North for providing this information. We also wish to thank all the observers who contribute to Journey North. Please consider joining at www.journeynorth.org" Please also refer to our Terms of Use and Privacy policies.
Privacy Issues - How Safe Is My Data?
- How does Journey North protect my privacy?
Protecting the privacy of our volunteers and project participants is a top priority for Journey North. You can read our Privacy Policy here, as well as our Terms of Use policy here.
Regarding location privacy, our maps zoom-in feature is set to protect observers’ privacy and offset the actual locations of our participants’ reports. There is no way one can zoom into someone’s backyard, for example. Location pins provide latitude and longitude coordinates only to the third decimal. This is covered in the Terms of Use and Privacy policies for Journey North.