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Citizen Science / Feed

Anyone can become a citizen scientist - even experts! If you're excited about exploring new areas of conservation tech, contributing to projects, or developing and launching your own citizen science projects or apps, this is the group for you.

discussion

iNaturalist tips & tricks?

Amber Balfour-Cunningham

28 April 2025 5:33am

iNaturalist (iNat) may be the most successful citizen science venture ever. Now at over 230 million verifiable reports, 290 000 active users and 5000 publications. It is easy to...

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Manish Gadhvi

2 May 2025 3:43pm

I'm new to iNaturalist but I did a personal project recently that made use of it's awesome API.



I used it to fetch only research-grade, open-location spider sightings, then performed a spatial join with Wildlife Trust regional boundary data (via an ArcGIS REST service) using GeoPandas. I visualised the results on an interactive Folium map with clustering, and set up a Prefect workflow to keep the data updated monthly. Final outputs include a clean CSV for analysis and the live map. You can see the project here 

Read "GitHub - mgadhvi/spider-project: This project uses iNaturalist spider sightings and Wildlife Trust boundary data to create an interactive map, helping visitors identify spider species they might encounter in different Wildlife Trust regions across the UK." on GitHub

GitHub - mgadhvi/spider-project: This project uses iNaturalist spider sightings and Wildlife Trust boundary data to create an interactive map, helping visitors identify spider species they might encounter in different Wildlife Trust regions across the UK.

This project uses iNaturalist spider sightings and Wildlife Trust boundary data to create an interactive map, helping visitors identify spider species they might encounter in different Wildlife Trust regions across the UK. - mgadhvi/spider-project

GitHub

Coming from a developer looking to change to nature tech, I found it a well document and easy API to work with :)

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discussion

A broken discussion thread ?

Kim Hendrikse

2 April 2025 1:50pm

Just want to point out, that there appears to be a discussion thread here that fails to render. It just hangs.It's the one called "Detecting animals' heading and body orientation...

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Kim Hendrikse

2 April 2025 1:52pm

Ah in the meantime my mail box is functional again. But this thread still seems broken.

Jake Burton

2 April 2025 2:17pm

Hi Kim, thanks for flagging this. It's likely caused by a bad external link. We will investigate!

Jake Burton

2 April 2025 2:52pm

Hi Kim, the website linked in the body text of the post was not working with our link preview embed system and somehow causing a crash. Clearing the site cache and changing the embed link to a hyperlink instead of a link preview embed has seemingly fixed the issue for now.

The devs will investigate further what was causing this to try and stop this happening again.

Thanks for the report!

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discussion

🌊 FathomVerse mobile game debuts new features to help gamers participate in ocean exploration

Lilli Wakinekona Carlsen

27 March 2025 1:20am

The ocean is vast, mysterious, and full of charismatic critters that look like they belong in a sci-fi movie. But unlike outer space, you don’t need a rocket to explore it—just a...

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discussion

Nature Tech Unconference - Anyone attending?

Elsa Carla De Grandi

8 March 2025 12:11pm

Hi all, anyone planning to attend the Nature Tech Unconference on 28th March at the London School of Economics Campus in London, UK? (the event is free to attend but...

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Matt Rogers

21 March 2025 12:07pm

The Futures Wild team will be there :)

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discussion

United Nations Open Source Principles

Pen-Yuan Hsing

13 March 2025 4:13pm

FYI, I just came across the United Nations Open Source Principles, which was recently adopted by the UN Chief Executive Board’s Digital Technology Network (DTN): It has been...

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Vance Russell

25 March 2025 11:54am

All sound, would be nice if there were only 5, though!

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discussion

Mole-Rat Mystery. Can anyone help?

Sean Hill

19 March 2025 3:25pm

Good afternoon everyone! I am currently doing a personal study on Cape Dune Mole-Rat (Bathyergus suillus) activity in my free time along an estuary. I do not know...

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Jocelyn Stalker

20 March 2025 4:17pm

Hi Sean! I love that you are naturally curious and are pursuing really cool projects in your free time. I know absolutely nothing about cape dune mole rats (in fact, never heard of them prior to this post, but I will confess I was interested in the concept of a mole-rat mystery), but I did have some thoughts about where you might find more information-

It seems like the types of questions you are asking are pretty specific and niche. My first thought on how to find someone with expertise in these specific rodents was to go to their iNat page- there you can see the top observer and top identifier. Both individuals are active researchers, so I think reaching out to them on iNat or finding their e-mails from their respective organizations' sites might be a good way to get in touch.

https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7998.1986.tb03570.x

I also did a quick search in Google Scholar in which I typed in only the scientific name and hit go. The two publications linked above caught my eye as potentially helpful in your search- particularly the first one. They excavated burrows and noted things like home range size, that males have more burrows than females, etc. I didn't go much beyond the abstracts but these seem like they might get you on the right tracks!

Happy ratting!

Sean Hill

25 March 2025 8:36am

Good morning Vance

Thank you very much! I am looking into some papers that I was kindly directed to by Jocelyn Stalker ( her comment below) and am looking for ways to establish population dynamics just by looking at the mounds. Once I have figured this part out I should be able to correlate the information to the drone data. The Ground Sampling Distance (GSD) for this project is very small, 1.3cm per pixel. This has proven to be very useful because I am able to use the very fine 3D models to run change detections that pick up new heaps and vegetation reductions (which may be due to feeding) on a weekly basis. It helps not only visualise but also quantify where the most activity has occurred. I will keep you posted!    

Sean Hill

25 March 2025 8:47am

Good morning Jocelyn

Thank you very much for your comment, this is proving to be very useful advice and thank you so much for setting me on the right path!! This is very exciting!!

They are the most extra ordinary little creatures and as I don't know much about them either, I thought I'd try learn as much as I can (not just through literature, but through my own observations as well). I walk past these mounds daily and am always intrigued when I see more mounds and really enjoy watching them actively push the dune sand up to the surface (you don't see the wee fellas but you can watch the sand move as they burrow away). One afternoon while flying my drone (I was quantifying the changes in sediment deposition and erosion volumes in the estuary after a flood that was soon followed by a super high tide), I had a heap between my legs and all of a sardine it starts moving! So that sparked my curiosity even further. 

I will keep you posted on my findings and thank you again for the papers and the direction! It is greatly appreciated!!

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discussion

Sensors to Add to Avid Kayaker in Florida?

Andrew Quitmeyer

10 March 2025 12:13pm

My friend is an engineer and an avid kayaker in florida rivers. He wants some kind of mission while he goes around kayaking. He's a computer vision expert and one of his ideas is...

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Phil Bresnahan

21 March 2025 12:55pm

Love this idea! I have spent some time thinking about similar things and have built some rather expensive (~ $20K) pH and oxygen sensors to use on paddlecraft as well as much less expensive (~ $500) simpler devices for geolocated temperature measurement. Neither of these is readily available, but I do have a couple ideas for your friend if he is up for a little reading and exploring options: 

  • Check out the Testing the Waters site and paper (links below). Eric Compas and others used Atlas Scientific water quality instrumentation on a kayak.
  • SciStarter.org might have some good ideas for kayak-based participatory science, even with just a mobile phone.
  • Check out Blue Robotics hardware and forums (one example below). They make all sorts of cool fully packaged and OEM hardware for this sort of thing. I once saw a nice DIY surfboard + Blue Robotics echosounder project (can't find the link at the moment—sorry) which would be easy to adapt to kayaking. 

Happy to chat more if any of these leads or related stuff is of interest (more of my contact info available at coast-lab.org).

Read "Help im a noob but I work with seabed survey - Blue Robotics Products - Blue Robotics Community Forums" on Blue Robotics Community Forums

Help im a noob but I work with seabed survey - Blue Robotics Products - Blue Robotics Community Forums

Hi, I have been thinking about a project i wanna build for some time. A special kind of survey boat. To do it i need a complete set up as the blueboat has with the long range directional antenna. But I will not be needi…

Blue Robotics Community Forums • 07 Jun 2023
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discussion

ICCB 2025 – Let’s Connect!

Stephanie M.

9 March 2025 5:06am

Hi Everyone,I’m excited to be attending my first ICCB 2025 as a student presenter and early-career researcher! My work sits at the intersection of computational epidemiology and...

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Nguyen Thi-Tam Anh

12 March 2025 1:55pm

Hi everyone, I’m excited to become a member of Wild Lab! I’m currently working on my master’s thesis, focusing on dormouse conservation. My research explores the behavioral responses of dormice to temperature and habitat patterns using camera trap data.

Additionally, I’d like to incorporate agent-based modeling to simulate species behavior. However, I’m a bit unsure about how to effectively apply modeling for predictions. If anyone here has experience with modeling, I’d love to connect and discuss!

Looking forward to learning from you all.

Best regards,

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discussion

Machine learning for bird pollination syndromes

Craig

25 November 2024 7:30am

I am a PhD student working on bird pollination syndromes in South Africa and looking specifically at urbanizations effect on sunbirds and sugarbirds. By drawing from a large...

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Lance Legel

3 January 2025 3:55am

Hi @craigg, my background is machine learning and deep neural networks, and I'm also actively involved with developing global geospatial ecological models, which I believe could be very useful for your PhD studies.  

First of all to your direct challenges, I think there will be many different approaches, which could serve more or less of your interests.

As one idea that came up, I think it will be possible in the coming months, through a collaboration, to "fine-tune" a general purpose "foundation model" for ecology that I'm developing with University of Florida and Stanford University researchers.  More here.

You may also find the 1+ million plant trait inferences searchable by native plant habitats at Ecodash.ai to be useful.  A collaborator at Stanford actually is from South Africa, and I was just about to send him this e.g. https://ecodash.ai/geo/za/06/johannesburg

I'm happy to chat about this, just reach out!  I think there could also be a big publication in Nature (or something nice) by mid-2025, with dozens of researchers demonstrating a large number of applications of the general AI techniques I linked to above.

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discussion

WhatsApp images

Paula Pebsworth

3 February 2025 5:08pm

Hello All! I want citizen scientists to upload images of particular animals and need the location information associated with the images. My understanding is WhatsApp (easiest way...

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Lucie Gallegos

3 February 2025 8:33pm

Hi Paula, you're right that WhatsApp strips EXIF metadata (including GPS data), which makes it tricky to collect location information when people share photos. Perhaps you could use Google Photos/Apple Photos. Both automatically embed location data in the images if the device’s location services are enabled when the photo is taken. Then, if users upload their images to one of these platforms, you can ask them to share the photo with a link (which will include the location).

Otherwise, do you know why people are reluctant to use iNaturalist? Seek has a simpler interface and could be a solution for those hesitant about using iNaturalist ?

Hope that helps, 

Cheers, 

Lucie

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discussion

Undergrad team available to tackle conservation problem statements

Colleen R O'Donnell

21 January 2025 6:37pm

Is anyone out there interested in pairing with an undergrad team of students to help you tackle your research problem?This is through the University of Maryland's environmental...

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Lucie Gallegos

31 January 2025 9:38pm

Hi Colleen,

Thank you for sharing this exciting opportunity. I am Lucie, International Development Manager of Natural Solutions. We are a company at the intersection of biodiversity and tech for over 15 years. We specialize in developing digital tools for conservation organizations, researchers, and policymakers, helping them collect, analyze, and visualize biodiversity data. More recently, we’ve been exploring new possibilities and began to analyze what we could propose to businesses to support them in understanding their dependencies and impacts on nature (impact assessment platforms that help companies quantify their environmental footprint, define relevant indicators, and develop actionable biodiversity strategies etc)

We would be interested in exploring whether this topic could be relevant for your students.

Would this align with your students' interests and skill sets? Additionally, could you share more details on the timeline and any constraints—when would the project start, and what are the expected deliverables?

Looking forward to discussing this further! My email is lucie_gallegos@natural-solutions.eu 
Don't hesitate to reach out!

Best, 

Lucie

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discussion

Thesis Collaboration

Simon

4 January 2025 5:15pm

Hello everyone, I am an experienced Data Scientist and I am currently studying a second master in Environment Management (ULB - Belgium). I am currently looking for a master...

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Sanne Govaert

7 January 2025 12:32pm

Hi Simon,
Did you already contact INBO? Both biologging and citizen science are big themes at INBO. Last year we had a master thesis on camera trapping invasive muntjac. You can send me a private message for more info!

Ivan Herrera Olivares

14 January 2025 3:30pm

Hi Simon,

We're a biologging start-up based in Antwerp and are definitely open to collaborate if you're interested. We've got some programs going on with local zoo's. Feel free to send me a DM if you'd like to know more.

enrico sorato

15 January 2025 8:30am

Hi Simon,
We (Reneco International Wildlife Consultants) have an ongoing collaboration with a local University (Abu Dhabi, UAE)  for developing AI tools (cameratrap/drone images and video analyses) and biomimetic robots applied to conservation (e.g  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1574954124004813 ). We also have a genetic team working on eDNA.    Field experience could be possible, in UAE or Morocco.
Feel free to write me back if you may be interested and would like to know more
 

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discussion

Birdweather Puc use as a passive sensor

William Rippon

13 December 2024 6:46am

We were recently donated Birdweather Pucs for monitoring birds on the reserve. These devices have worked exceptionally well as active sensors when placed in locations with 2.4 GHz...

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Walter Zimmer

13 December 2024 3:07pm

Checking the Birdweather FAQ, I guess you need to be more detailed on the setup description. For example, if you use a powerbank to power the PUC that is NOT ALWAYS-ON, it may swich-off after some time. So details of your setup may matter.

Caveat, I do not have a PUC, but tried to understand you problem.

William Rippon

18 December 2024 1:03pm

Thanks for the advice Wade!

It will be great to hear Tim's feedback, but thanks for your advice! I think Lithium batteries are the next step for us. I have successfully gotten it working with a power bank attached, but that really impedes its portability. Will also fiddle around with the GPS per your recommendations...

 

William Rippon

18 December 2024 1:10pm

Hello Walter

Thanks for your input. I have achieved better results with the puc when hooking it up to a powerbank. Have got them set up to "recording only", and GPS to low power mode. Looking to now try eliminating the need for a power bank as that impairs the portability of the puc.

 

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discussion

Roe deer protection needed in Hungary, national government should stop funding hunting organizations - call for international support

Szilvia Szilagyi

7 October 2024 11:58am

According to Bern Convention, The European Roe deer - Capreolus capreolus, is protected fauna species Annex III, however in Hungary is legal...

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Kim Hendrikse

14 October 2024 1:33pm

A quick search comes up with the following answer. Let us know if that helps.

Annex III of the European Environmental Agency (EEA) does not directly regulate the protection or hunting of specific species. Instead, it's important to look at Annexes II and IVof the EU Habitats Directive (Directive 92/43/EEC) for species protection and hunting regulations in the European Union.

Roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) is not listed in Annex IV (which covers strictly protected species), meaning it is not afforded the strictest protection that prevents all forms of exploitation. However, Annex III of the Bern Convention, which relates to species that may be exploited but require careful regulation, includes species like roe deer.

In many European countries, roe deer hunting is permitted under specific regulated conditions. These regulations aim to ensure sustainable hunting practices and maintain healthy population levels, with hunting seasons and quotas determined based on local wildlife management policies.

In summary, roe deer are generally not strictly protected across the EU, and hunting is allowed under regulation, though specific conditions depend on national and regional legislation.

Disclaimer: I can't guarantee that the above is not a hallucination :-)

Szilvia Szilagyi

15 October 2024 11:24am

Thanks, we know they are breeding these animals here, I asked, since it's seems to be an expensive hobby, we need to allocate more funding for rural women in entrepreneurship and access to technologies, reduce poverty in Hungary No1 priority. 

That's the problem local peoples can not afford buying wild meat from the "local shop"

Fully uncontrolled activites in Hungary

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discussion

WILDLABS AWARDS 2024 - Fostering bat conservation and citizen science in Zimbabwe: Establishing bat groups and training individuals to use bat detectors

Abigail Karimanzira

4 April 2024 12:12pm

Through our project, awarded by the WILDLABS Awards 2024, we aim to establish three bat groups across Zimbabwe. These groups will be trained to use Echo Meter Touch 2 Pro bat...

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Abigail Karimanzira

9 September 2024 2:28pm

Hi everyone

Our project on fostering bat conservation and citizen science in Zimbabwe has reached another level. To date, the project team has established two bat groups in Bulawayo and Chimanimani. Forty-three people from these two provinces have been educated on bat biology and trained in the use of bat detectors. The trainees appreciated the importance of bats in the environment, and that their conservation is essential.

Due to limited resources, the training sessions were not sufficient for the trainees, as the Kaleidoscope software for analyzing data is somewhat complex. A similar training workshop will be conducted in Harare.

Next steps of project:

Continue training bat group participants on using bat detectors and analyzing acoustic data;
Reach out to other areas and establish bat groups across the country;
Promote and research important habitats for bats in Zimbabwe.
We continue to express our gratitude to @wildlabs  for funding the project. The team: @Ronnie @Ropafadzo @Karen

Phil Atkin

1 October 2024 8:17pm

I would love to see my bat detector designs in use in Africa - drop me a line, let's see if we can get something to happen - I'm pipistrelledetector at gmail dot com

http://www.pippyg.com

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discussion

Building a biodiversity startup focused on getting landowners to use native plants

Colleen

23 September 2024 3:37pm

I'm fresh off my MEM/MBA degrees building a startup called EarthScape that is focused on assisting landowners in the switch from turf grass lawns (the largest USA irrigated...

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event

Design-led innovation for nature

Catherine Greene

20 September 2024 2:24pm

How can space-enabled data and services be translated into information that is trusted and actionable, fuelling responsible behaviours towards nature? A new programme where SMEs will be paired with design consultancies...

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event

Catch up with The Variety Hour: August 2024

Alex Rood

20 August 2024 12:58pm

This month, we hear about acoustic imaging sonar that reveals northern elephant seal behaviour, GPS tags that monitor the success of rehabilitated and reintroduced Andean condors, infrared cameras that detect thermal...

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