Engaging citizens – Australian Citizen Science Association

09Dec 2021 by Amy Slocombe No Comments

ForestEye Pilot went LIVE in the Bega Shire Valley!

Collaboration & partnerships, Communication & promotion, Engaging citizens, Field-based citizen science

By Geetha Ortac A few months ago, ACSA announced its partnership with the Natural Resources Commission of NSW (NRC, lead partner) and the Atlas of Life to deliver a new and exciting forest monitoring citizen science project named ForestEye. This project was due to be piloted in October, however Covid-19 restrictions meant a 2 month delay. We are now happy to report ForestEye finally kicked-off on 1 Dec 2021 in the beautiful Bega Shire Valley! Nine enthusiastic citizen scientists from nearby local areas joined us for two days of training and fieldwork participating in the set-up of remote sensor cameras and two different types of devices that enabled acoustic recording and monitoring of bats and other wildlife. As ForestEye’s vision is to support long-term forest monitoring across New South Wales, a pilot such…

09Dec 2021 by Amy Slocombe No Comments

The Big Bushfire Bioblitz!

Collaboration & partnerships, Communication & promotion, Engaging citizens, Field-based citizen science, Meetings and Events

Grab your hat, your camera, and your moth sheet, and get ready for the Big Bushfire BioBlitz! The University of New South Wales’ Centre for Ecosystem Science, the Atlas of Living Australia, the Australian Citizen Science Association, Minderoo’s Fire and Flood Resilience Initiative, and the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment are joining forces to run three bioblitzes across NSW in early 2022 to help track how our native ecosystems are recovering from the 2019-2020 bushfire season. Join us in the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area (Blue Mountains), Rainforests of the NSW north coast and tablelands (Washpool National Park), and Forests of the NSW south coast (Murramarang National Park) as we search for bugs, bats, birds and everything in between. We’re putting together an exciting line-up of experts…

09Dec 2021 by Amy Slocombe No Comments

New article in The Conversation

Communication & promotion, Engaging citizens

ACSA's former Chair Erin Roger Host Representative Alice Motion have just had their article published in The Conversation and it is well worth a read: https://theconversation.com/nature-is-hiding-in-every-nook-of-australias-cities-just-look-a-little-closer-and-youll-find-it-168256 This article was written to accompany the publication of Erin and Alice's open access journal article "Citizen science in cities: an overview of projects focused on urban Australia". You can download that article here.

30Nov 2021 by Amy Slocombe No Comments

Sign up for a BioBlitz this summer

Collaboration & partnerships, Communication & promotion, Engaging citizens, Field-based citizen science

Members of the public are being invited to participate in a citizen science research program to boost existing bushfire recovery, data collection and monitoring activities for impacted wildlife. Supported through the Australian Government’s Regional Bushfire Recovery Fund, the program includes funding for a Citizen Science Coordinator position based within the Atlas of Living Australia hosted by the CSIRO to support the delivery of three bushfire recovery projects. Minister for the Environment Sussan Ley said citizen science projects present a unique opportunity to improve the science on bushfires, future preparations and bushfire actions. “Three projects under the program are supporting fire-affected communities to engage with nature and the science of recovery,” Minister Ley said. “The first project will see CSIRO run a series of weekend long ‘BioBlitz’ events in bushfire-affected regions…

08Nov 2021 by Amy Slocombe No Comments

ACSA Western Australia events

ACSA development, Collaboration & partnerships, Communication & promotion, Engaging citizens, Meetings and Events

The ACSA-WA re-launch event on Saturday 23rd October at the new Education Centre in Kings Park and Botanic Garden had a great turnout to hear wonderful speakers. Starting with an Acknowledgement of Country, a fascinating video by our patron Professor Lyn Beazley, an introduction to our four Chapter committee members, and on to wide-ranging presentations on local citizen science practitioners, the event was a great success. Nic Dunlop presents to the audience on a range of CCWA citizen science projects Thanks to our speakers Marnie Giroud (Gilbert's Potoroo Action Group), Dr Kerry Trayler (River Guardians, DBCA), Dr Tegan Douglas (BirdLife WA), Drs Kevin Vinsen and Lisa Evans (The International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research) and Dr Nic Dunlop (Conservation Council of WA). The event finished with a short walk along…

08Jun 2021 by Amy Slocombe 5 Comments

Moth Matchmakers Needed

Collaboration & partnerships, Communication & promotion, Engaging citizens, Field-based citizen science

Science has yet to discover who the caterpillars are of 95% of Australian moths. Matching adults to their larvae is fundamental to understanding moths and their conservation. Help us match caterpillars to moths in six easy steps. In celebration of National Moth Weeks 10th year, be a MOTH MATCHMAKER and expand moth science! National Moth Week | July 17-25, 2021 Step 1: Find and photograph a caterpillar. Take clear close-up photos from above, the side and both ends. Also photo the plant or lichen the caterpillar is on. Step 2: Register on Canberra Naturemapr and add your caterpillar and plant photographs as wildlife sightings. Step 3: Place a few centimeters of dry soil, a diagonal stick and dead and live leaves from the food plant the caterpillar is on into…

22Sep 2020 by Jodie Valpied 1 Comment

The story of Patrick the platypus, the orange river and the ACSA Seed Grant

Blogs, Collaboration & partnerships, Engaging citizens

When the Werribee River in Bacchus Marsh turned orange from sediment in late 2018, some local community members began to ask, “Is Patrick the Platypus OK”? Patrick is the name locals had given to the platypus (or platypuses) living in that section of the river. We were worried this severe level of sediment would smother “Patrick’s” food supply – invertebrates. Platypus cannot survive where their food has been killed. The river stayed orange for eight months! Action was needed. In response, a small group of local residents came together to form the Bacchus Marsh Platypus Alliance. The Australian Citizen Science Association (ASCA) seed grant came at just the right time for the newly formed Alliance. It provided us with vital equipment and resources to get our citizen science activities started,…

14Aug 2020 by Amy Slocombe No Comments

National Science Week

Communication & promotion, Education, Engaging citizens, Meetings and Events

ACSA is proud to support Australia’s National Science Week (15-23 August). There will be a number of citizen science activities to mark the week. Remember these are all online so anyone can participate! 15/08: The Secret life of nudibranch (Gold Coast Libraries) 15/08: Get the GC Reef lowdown (Gold Coast Libraries) 17/08: Whales in the city with Dr Olaf (Humpbacks & High Rises) 17/08: Introducing citizen science to younger people (ACSA ACT & Region) 19/08: Lunimary Lecture: Whales in the city (Gold Coast Libraries) 20/08: What Makes Science Good? (The University of Adelaide) 25/08: The Science and Citizens of the Coorong (Murraylands & Riverland Landscape Board) For more citizen science Science Week activities please click here, and for a complete list of all the National Science Week activities please visit the official website.

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.