2020 – Page 3 – Australian Citizen Science Association

15May 2020 by Amy Slocombe No Comments

ACSA-QLD – Nominations close 24th May

ACSA-QLD is seeking nominations to join its Chapter Management Committee! The Queensland Chapter of ACSA was launched January 2019, and is now looking to build a vibrant program for the state’s community of practice (and interest). If you have a role in citizen science in Queensland and some time and energy to offer, please consider getting involved by joining the ACSA-QLD Management Committee in one of the following roles: Chair Vice Chair Secretary / Treasurer (combined role) General Committee Members (x4) Descriptions of these roles are available here. To nominate, please complete and submit the form online. All Committee members must be (or must become) a subscribed member of ACSA. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact James Gullison on 0414 762 374 or via email j.gullison@griffith.edu.au. Nominations close…

15May 2020 by Amy Slocombe No Comments

NESP Grants Open

Uncategorized

The National Environmental Science Program (NESP) grants are open until 30 June 2020, seeking applicants to deliver research in applied environmental science to support decision-makers from across the Australian community. The program will be delivered through four thematic research hubs and seek to deliver national scale applied environmental research programs, but also strong engagement and outcomes with local communities. ACSA sees citizen science as a strong pathway to support these outcomes and is actively exploring opportunities to connect with bid consortia on collaborations and to communicate our identified research goals for our national Community of Practice. We would welcome any thoughts and ideas from our ACSA community on NESP engagement opportunities - please contact Amy.

15May 2020 by Amy Slocombe No Comments

Mapping citizen science in Australia

Uncategorized

Just before COVID-19 threatened to change the world as we know it, and as the bushfires started raging across the country, Dr Yaela Golumbic, who you may remember from her CitSciOz18 blog, had embarked on a journey to map citizen science in Australia. With help from many in this community, and responses from almost 100 citizen science project leaders, scientists and practitioners across Australia, this work has attracted much national and international interest. Initial findings from the research are now available in this participant report, providing a glimpse into the unique characteristics of our Australian citizen science community.

05May 2020 by Amy Slocombe No Comments

Bushfire recovery Project Finder is live

Collaboration & partnerships, Communication & promotion

In mid-April CSIRO officially announced its partnership with ACSA and the Atlas of Living Australia in producing the Citizen Science Bushfire Project Finder. CSIRO’s Chief Executive Larry Marshall and Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews were both quoted in the media release with Minister Andrews reiterating her commitment to citizen science “Despite the challenges we are facing, the Australian spirit remains strong and it is obvious that our citizens are eager to do their part in the bushfire recovery process.” The Bushfire Project Finder features a geographic filter enabling users to identify available projects in their area. It can be accessed here. The media release prompted a number of media inquiries with some great publicity resulting from this work. Have a listen to ALA’s Director Andre Zerger on ABC’s Goulburn-Murray (time stamp 2.19) or ACSA Chair Erin Roger followed by the Australian Museum’s Paul Flemons on ABC…

04May 2020 by John Pring 1 Comment

Reflections on EU citsci CoP talks

Blogs

By John Pring, Chair ACSA-ACT I have been participating in discussions with some of the European WeObserve citizen science communities of practice for some time and was asked to provide an update on the Australian bushfires that had occured over the recent fire season and the involvement of ACSA and Australian citizen scientists in the recovery process. Here is a summary of that presentation and discussion. [caption id="attachment_18212" align="aligncenter" width="499"] Morton National Park NSW February 2020[/caption] The fires in Australia had been something that they had watched in horror but did not truly realise the size. The official losses (3500 homes, 5850 Outbuildings and the tragic loss of 34 lives) had meaning but indicating to people living in the Netherlands that the fires had burnt an area approaching 2.5 x…

20Apr 2020 by Amy Slocombe 4 Comments

Citizen science and COVID-19

Collaboration & partnerships

Just as ACSA responded to the bushfire crisis earlier in the year, we would also like to contribute to how the Australian community can stay positive, share experiences and contribute to science and learning in the context of COVID-19 social distancing, flattening the curve and mitigation. Doing more together While physical isolation guidelines are being implemented globally, this doesn’t mean we need to feel isolated and powerless during this challenging time. Indeed citizen science is all about the power and potential of ‘scale’ and that by working together we can do more. Many in our community are finding comfort in continuing with their daily citizen science activities and the sense of connection and purpose it provides. Whether that is recording species in our backyards, monitoring our rain gauges or helping…

20Apr 2020 by Amy Slocombe 1 Comment

Australian Citizen Science Association statement on 2019/20 bushfires

Collaboration & partnerships, Engaging citizens

The unprecedented Australian fires are devastating. They have led to the loss of lives, homes, habitats and livelihoods. Members of the Australian Citizen Science Association extend our deepest sympathies to those affected personally and also recognise the ecological grief that may be prompted by the scale of this crisis. In this time of extreme loss, we are also buoyed by the extraordinary response of individuals and communities in a time of crisis. We believe there is a role for citizen science to assist across multiple disciplines, in many research and monitoring capacities. ACSA is a member-based community that supports, informs and develops citizen science. With this in mind, we are seeking to support conversations and plans that help further connect the citizen science community to contribute to the extraordinary and…

09Apr 2020 by Amy Slocombe 1 Comment

“Join Flutracking” Prof Paul Kelly urges Australians

Collaboration & partnerships, Communication & promotion, Engaging citizens

On 6 April 2020 Professor Paul Kelly, Deputy Chief Health Officer, encouraged all Australians to join Flutracking to help track the spread of COVID-19. Following this Dr. Craig Dalton, co-ordinator of Flutracking.net reached out to ACSA and asked for our assistance in spreading this message far and wide. Participating in this citizen science project is easy, and will provide incredibly valuable information that can help us track COVID-19 and other illness in real time. Join Flutracking at https://info.flutracking.net/ and complete a simple 30 second survey once a week. Join Flutracking now.

09Apr 2020 by Amy Slocombe No Comments

City Nature Challenge is GO!

Communication & promotion, Engaging citizens

“Imagine how many species we could document if everyone in Australia just spent a few hours a day for four days documenting the biodiversity in their own backyard!” Sick of staying indoors? Have you heard about the biggest backyard bioblitz Australia has ever seen? For the first time ever the City Nature Challenge is being contested by four Australian cities. Due to COVID-19, the City Nature Challenge (Australian organisers) are also encouraging everyone in Australia to join in the fun and bioblitz their own backyards (or balconies) in the name of science! It all takes place from the 24th to 27th April inclusive, but there are also daily challenges leading up to the big event, so get the kids involved too! Please note: the iNaturalist app is rated as ages…

09Apr 2020 by Amy Slocombe No Comments

Welcome to Global CitSciMonth!

Collaboration & partnerships, Communication & promotion, Engaging citizens

Citizen Science Month offers thousands of opportunities for you to turn your curiosity into impact. There’s something for everyone, everywhere! If you are #HomeSchooling, #StayAtHome or just having a #Staycation you can join a project or event from wherever you are to help scientists answer questions they cannot answer without you. There is something on every day (and night) during CitSciMonth and most are suitable for students to join in online. Check out the calendar for more information here such as the Grey Mangrove Hunt or join the ACSA team in the Stall-A-Thon where we will be helping to find a cure for Alzheimers with Stall Catchers. Note: Check the time zones before you sign up for web events as this is a global events month. Is your favourite citizen science project…

Year: 2020