Citizen Science
There are many facets to citizen science but in general terms it is about the public engaging with and sharing science in relation to the natural world. This could be through random observations and reporting, organised surveys, monitoring project progress and outcomes, recording methodologies and sharing knowledge to improve recovery of species and their habitats.
This page is set up to help groups and individuals undertaking or planning native flora and fauna projects in Victoria to connect with other sites and resources for information relating to citizen science.
SWIFFT Citizen Science
- Southern Right Whale Photo Identification project – watch whales and make a difference. Join the SRW citizen science community by sending in your photos and receive season updates.
- Moth Tracker - record your Bogong Moth sighting and help critically endangered Mountain Pygmy-possums.
- Bushfire Recovery Community Wildlife Reporting- help us track wildlife recovery from the 2020 bushfires by reporting sightings of six key fire-affected species.
Further information:
- Biodiversity on-ground actions, Victoria - DEECA $25.66 million to support biodiversity and threatened species through community action grants, support programs and regional partnership approaches.
- Recommended references
- SWIFFT video conference notes - Citizen Science
- SWIFFT video conference notes - Online biodiversity resources
- Land for Wildlife
- Conservation Management Networks
Citizen science and data collection apps and websites
The Atlas of Living Australia is a collaborative, national project that aggregates biodiversity data from multiple sources and makes it freely available and usable online. Includes species information profiles, downloadable occurance data, spatial tools, sightings upload tools and citizen science platforms.
Web app, Android app, iOS app
Birdlife Australia citizen science event. Australia wide bird count surveys.
Australian Citizen Science Association
Website
The Australian Citizen Science Association (ACSA) was formed to advance citizen science through the sharing of knowledge, collaboration, capacity building and advocacy. ACSA is a member-based community that supports, informs and develops citizen science. ACSA membership is open to citizen science project managers, volunteers or anyone with an interest in citizen science.
Web app, Android app, iOS app
A Birdlife Australia platform. Record, contribute and viewbird sightings and survey data.
Web app
Managed by the Museum of Victoria and the Atlas of Living Austalia, Bowerbird is a socially networked, web-based, community, biodiversity workspace for Australia. Submit biological sightings and images for idenitification, discussion and sharing to conservation networks and recognised databases.
Website, Android app, iOS app
Contribute species data relating to climate change.
Web app, Android app, iOS app
International bird observation and checklist citizen science program.
iOS app
EchidnaCSI is a citizen science project aimed at understanding more about Echidnas through the public's help.
Web app
Eremaea Birdlines is a service provided by Birdlife Australia for recording unusual and interesting observations of wild birds in Australia.
Web app
EstuaryWatch is a citizen science program for monitoring estuary health.
Web app, Android app, iOS app
Map feral animal sightings, impacts and control actions. Includes RabbitScan, WildDogScan, FeralCatScan, FoxScan, FeralPigScan, ToadScan, MynaScan, MouseAlert, CamelScan, FeralGoatScan, FeralFishScan, StarlingScan, DeerScan (coming)
Android app, iOS app
Melbourne Water community frog monitoring program. Recording of frog calls.
Web app, Android app, iOS appp
Discover which frogs live around you and help count Australia's frogs.
Web app, Andriod app, iOS app
International biodiversity observation and citizen science platform.
Web app
Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority bird, fish, reptile and frog observation program.
Website, Android app, iOS app
National citizen science event to collect waterbug monitoring data from waterways and wetlands
Web app, Android app, iOS app
The North Central CMA's NatureBlitz app is a citizen science monitoring tool that allows the community to collect important information about our region's biodiversity.
Web app
Citizen science database for individuals and groups to document and share information about their local environment.
Volunteer program
A Victorian National Parks Association program. Started in 2007, NatureWatch trains community volunteers to collect important information about Victoria's animals and plants. Projects include Communities Listening for Nature, Caught on Camera, Grasstree Monitoring and Grassland Threatened Species.
The ParkConnect web site has lists of available volunteer activities across Victoria. Parks Victoria volunteers help to protect, maintain and restore Victoria’s unique and special places.
Redmap (Range Extension Database & Mapping project) invites the Australian community to spot, log and map marine species that are uncommon in Australia, or along particular parts of our coast.
Volunteer program
A Victorian National Parks Association program. Marine citizen science program that trains pople to collect important information about fish, invertebrates and algae at dive locations across Victoria. Projects include Great Victorian Fish Count, Adopt a Sponge, PlateWatch, OysterWatch, Sea Slug Census and ReefCam
Science for all is an organisation which exists to facilitate the learning, sharing and creation of knowledge. We enable people to share knowledge and ideas, use the scientific method to create new knowledge and support more people to get involved in shaping the future of human knowledge. Projects include:
- Campfires and Science
- How to use environmental DNA to detect species
- Standardised Data on Initiatives (STARDIT) is a proposed way of sharing data about ‘research’, ‘interventions’, ‘projects.
Threatened Species Conservancy
The Threatened Species Conservancy is an independent not-for-profit organisation helping Australia’s threatened plants and animals to thrive.
The Threatened Species Conservancy undertakes planning and the implementation of recovery programs for the nation’s threatened plants and animals.
The Conservancy fosters connections between people and the natural world through targeted on-ground actions, citizen science and community engagement.
Valuing Urban Wetlands interactive map
Valuing Urban Wetlands uses Citizen Science to demonstrate the relative value of wetlands in the Greater Melbourne region. Includes Latham's Snipe records and waterbird lists for selected wetlands.
Volunteer program
Become a citizen scientist and assist researchers by looking for animals in wilderness photos taken by automated cameras around Australia.
Web app
WomSAT is a new resource for communities to record sightings of wombats across the country.
Web app
xeno-canto is a website dedicated to sharing bird sounds from all over the world.
Web app
Platform for storing, analysing, visualising, synthesising and sharing animal presence and movement information.