Introduction
Urban citizen science projects in Australia
City/State | Specific Location | Project | Project aims | Data collection and visualisation method | Status and Date Commenced | Target species |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sydney, New South Wales | Urban setting but can include green spaces within the city | City of Parramatta Wildlife Survey | Increase understanding of the fauna that inhabit Parramatta city This information will aid in the management of the City of Parramatta's natural areas | Online form with all data automatically integrated and able to be visualised within the ALA | Ongoing January 2020 | All urban fauna species observed in the Parramatta region |
Sydney, New South Wales | Urban setting but with a focus on green spaces within the city | Mosman Wildlife Surveys | Volunteers record native wildlife found across parks and reserves intended to assist the environmental department of Mosman Council with the future management of bushland habitat and fauna populations | Online form with all data automatically integrated and able to be visualised within the ALA | Ongoing January 2020 | All urban fauna species observed in the Mosman area |
All urban areas throughout Australia | Urban backyards | Backyard species discovery with BushBlitz | Encourage the general public to look more closely at the organisms living around them, to record what they find and, in doing so, to contribute to knowledge of Australia's biodiversity | App (iNaturalist) All records added to the ALA. Data can be visualised on iNaturalist platform | Ongoing April 2020 | All urban species observed by participants in the local area |
Urban wetlands in South Australia | Urban wetlands | Monitoring urban wetlands | Investigate factors that influence volunteer engagement and continued support in conservation projects. In addition, it measures species diversity of South Australian bird life in urban wetlands | Point survey count method (paper based) survey location guided by coordinator after contacting them. No known data visualisation available | Fixed period of time June 2020-August 2020 | Bird life at designated urban wetlands across the Greater Adelaide Region |
All areas but with a focus on urban environments | All urban environments | Big City Birds | Engage the general public to report sightings of five focal species of birds. All five species have been observed adapting to human modified areas and increasing their population in urban areas. This project aims to improve understanding of the behaviours that have allowed some bird species to adapt to the challenges and opportunities of urban living | Tailored app “Big City Birds” or via the dedicated project website. Data visualised on project’s website | Ongoing November 2020 | The project focuses on five bird species: Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Australian White Ibis, Little Corella and Long-billed Corella Additional species can also be reported |
Sydney, New South Wales | Marine | VIZ-Sydney Diving Visibility Reports | Track the quantity of 10 target fish species in dive sites around Sydney to understand their presence across the year(s) | Free text report on community’s Facebook page with an indication of location, time, visibility in metres and the species observed. No known data visualisation available but images on Facebook page | Ongoing June 2019 | Ten target species: Grey Nurse shark, Angelshark, Angler fish, Eastern Gobbleguts, Port Jackson shark, Giant Australian Cuttlefish, Dusky Whaler Shark, Australian Cownose ray, Little Penguin, Sea Turtle |
Sydney, New South Wales | Marine | Sea Turtle Tracking in Sydney | Track individual sea turtles in the waters around Sydney to understand their quantity and site presence across the years. A secondary goal is to provide photographic evidence of their health status and trigger rescue operations whenever required | Photograph uploaded to the community’s Facebook page with an indication of location, time, visibility in metres. No known data visualisation available but images on Facebook page | Ongoing June 2019 | Sea Turtle species |
Brisbane, Queensland | All locations in an urban setting | Angle Stemmed Myrtle | Determine the location and numbers of Angle Stemmed Myrtle (Gossia gonoclada) in the Brisbane area. The Angle Stemmed Myrtle is an endangered species and help is required to document locations across Brisbane | Email or phone reports of sightings No known data visualisation available | Ongoing December 2019 | Angle Stemmed Myrtle |
All urban environments | Urban backyards/gardens | Solitary Urban Bees in Urban Gardens | Inform the design of solitary native bee homes and target species for an Australian urban garden | App (iNaturalist) All records imported to the ALA. Data can be visualised on iNaturalist platform | Ongoing November 2019 | Native solitary bees |
Sydney, New South Wales | All locations in an urban setting | Inner West Microbat Monitors | Monitor microbats at sites in the Inner West Local Government Area | Recording bat calls on high frequency recorders and visual counts of bats. Supervised counting. No known data visualisation available | Ongoing March 2019 | Microbat species |
Brisbane, Queensland | All road locations in an urban setting | B4C Roadkill map | Help local catchment groups and citizens of Brisbane City develop a record of road kill data. This data will be used to improve and reduce the road kill hot spots by implementing fauna infrastructure for safer fauna passing | Dedicated project app to record image of species killed with online form automatically integrated and visualised with the ALA. Additional functionality to record other variables | Ongoing May 2019 | All fauna killed on Brisbane city roads |
Western Australia | All locations in an urban setting | Bees in the Burbs in a Biodiversity Hotspot | Inform, raise awareness, and share science-based recommendations for saving native bees. It has secondary objectives of encouraging citizens to go outside and observe native bees, and collect data on when and where native bees are | Spreadsheet accessed via dedicated project website and Facebook group. Sightings can be uploaded to Facebook | Ongoing August 2016 | All species of bees |
All urban environments | All locations in an urban setting with a focus on backyards and green spaces | Birds in Backyards | Find out what influences bird diversity in gardens and yards, urban bush lands, parks and public areas Birds in Backyards is a research, education and conservation program focusing on the birds that live where people live | Observations are made via an app or dedicated website. Findings/sightings are summarised on project website | Ongoing January 1980 Run quarterly each season | All bird species where people live (not restricted to only urban areas) |
Sydney, New South Wales | Peri urban environment | Blue Mountains Urban-bush Interface Monitoring | Monitor impacts of climate change, tourism and urban development on ecosystems at the urban-bush interface in the upper Blue Mountains | Phone app restricted to Scenic World staff not open to the general public. Data automatically integrated and able to be visualised within the ALA | Ongoing April 2018 | All flora and fauna observed by Scenic World Staff in the Blue Mountains region |
Logan, Queensland | All locations in an urban setting | Wildlife sightings in the city of Logan | Encourage exploration of the outdoors and gather data on native plants and animals in the City of Logan to improve management | Online form accessed via dedicated project webpage. No known data visualisation available | Ongoing June 2018 | All flora and fauna |
Brisbane, Queensland | All locations in an urban setting | Feral Deer Reporting and Management | Understand and record the numbers and locations of feral deer to help inform management | iNaturalist app and all records imported into the ALA and also via online form on dedicated project website. No known data visualisation available | Fixed December 2019- December 2020 | Rusa deer Red deer Fallow deer |
Brisbane, Queensland | All locations in an urban setting | Bringing back the Richmond Birdwing Butterfly to Brisbane | Collect observations of Pararistolochia praevenosa a food plant of the Richmond Birdwing Butterfly to improve habitat planting | Online database via dedicated website. All data integrated and visualised within the ALA | Ongoing June 2017 | Pararistolochia praevenosa (Australian vine) and the Richmond Birdwing Butterfly |
Perth, Western Australia | All locations in an urban setting | City of Kalamunda biodiversity monitoring | Record the organisms in the City of Perth and make that data freely available globally | Online form with all data provided integrated and visualised within the ALA | Ongoing May 2017 | All flora and fauna in the Perth region |
Sydney, New South Wales | Urban setting but with a focus on green spaces within the city | Tempe Birdos | Record bird data through monthly surveys at Tempe Reserve and Lands | All records submitted via online form direct or entered after the survey to the Atlas of Living Australia. Data able to be visualised in the ALA | Ongoing September 2011 | All bird species in the region |
Project Name | Number of observations |
---|---|
City of Parramatta Wildlife Survey | 2 |
Mosman Wildlife Surveys | 7 |
Bringing back the Richmond Birdwing Butterfly to Brisbane | 56 |
City of Kalamunda biodiversity monitoring | 233 |
Blue Mountains Urban-bush Interface Monitoring | 241 |
B4C Roadkill map | 384 |
Tempe Birdos | 1556 |