Cleary - The Atlas and the App

Transcript

1. The Atlas and the (smartphone) App
2. The Atlas and the App • National Parks Association of New South Wales – Non-Government Conservation Group – Over 4,000 members throughout NSW – Connecting people with nature – A lead partner of the Great Eastern Ranges Initiative
3. The Atlas and the App • BioBlitz – Snap shot of what is happening in the environment – Community biodiversity days • Small mammal trapping • Bird surveys • Pitfall trapping • Vegetation surveys
4. The Atlas and the App • Problems with BioBlitz – A huge amount of effort, time and resources goes into organising community biodiversity days – Information gathered only shows a snap shot of what is happening during that day – No baseline data to compare it to – Data collected was not scientifically robust – Not sustainable long-term
5. The Atlas and the App • BioBlitz is now replaced with Citizen Science • Citizen Science is an old practice – gentleman scientists, amateurs or self-funded researchers including Isaac Newton, Benjamin Franklin and Charles Darwin
6. The Atlas and the App • Citizen Science – During the past 150 years science has become professionalised while amateurs have been marginalised – Culture of science has changed with the increase in the number of professional scientists – Problems can arise with Citizen Scientist’s data • Sharing data • Publications
9. The Atlas and the App • Glossy Black Conservancy - Birding days in South- Eastern Queensland and North-Eastern NSW • Online sighting reporting tools • Manages a central database of GBC records
10. The Atlas and the App • Apply emerging technologies – Influence the scientific research process • Streamlining data collection • Improving data management • Open-access peer-reviewed journals – Cyber infrastructure • Increase public participation • Scientific literacy and understanding of study topics
11. The Atlas and the App • Many web-based Citizen Science projects and Apps available world-wide • Atlas of Living Australia & Great Eastern Ranges • Data Portal and App
12. Southern Highlands Slopes to Summit Kanangra to Wyangala Border Ranges Jaliigirr (Coffs Coast) Kosciuszko 2 Coast Illawarra-Shoalhaven Hunter Valley
13. The Atlas and the App • About the App and Portal – Creates surveys – Data automatically uploaded onto GER Portal – Our Citizen Scientists can view their own data and data collected by others – Enhanced knowledge sharing among virtual communities – Easy to manage people and projects
14. Great Koala Count 2013
15. Splat!
18. The Atlas and the App MEDIA
19. The Atlas and the App • We need to motivate people – Recruit and retain Citizen Scientists – Foster long-term involvement – Create a sense of community • Enjoyment is an intrinsic underlying motive for participation
20. The Atlas and the App • Address pressing community priorities or align with community values • Connect scientific questions and practices to these community priorities – Shared Goals • GER Facilitators
22. The Atlas and the App • Educate our Citizen Scientists on how to use the App and Portal • We need a soft introduction to using the App and Portal • Wildlife in Wild Places
23. The Atlas and the App
24. The Atlas and the App • Soft introduction to the App and Portal • Lengthy time period • Rewarding experience – urban wildlife • GER facilitators can engage local wildlife societies, schools, bird groups • Across all demographics • Quirky enough to capture the imagination
25. That’s all for now – thanks for listening!