Smartphone Apps for Wildlife Observations
Citizen Science
In June 2012, I attended the Ecology as Education and Research (EREN) conference and learned of an App designed for demographers and epidemiologists to map diseases. We learned that there was potential to create our own projects using this Epicollect platform that had been developed at the Imperial College of London. I came back to Plattsburgh and developed a Project for for roadkill and live wildlife sightings (nature walks, brisk walks to work in the city). I am really excited to share this with you, in my classes, and the greater community. I'd love to get this citizen science project up and running. We welcome participants from the U.S. and our international neighbors! The 3 project forms are called RoadkillGarneau, WildlifeBlitzGarneau, and TrackingWildlifeGarneau.
You can access the data and see a map of the 3 projects at their respective websites:
In June 2012, I attended the Ecology as Education and Research (EREN) conference and learned of an App designed for demographers and epidemiologists to map diseases. We learned that there was potential to create our own projects using this Epicollect platform that had been developed at the Imperial College of London. I came back to Plattsburgh and developed a Project for for roadkill and live wildlife sightings (nature walks, brisk walks to work in the city). I am really excited to share this with you, in my classes, and the greater community. I'd love to get this citizen science project up and running. We welcome participants from the U.S. and our international neighbors! The 3 project forms are called RoadkillGarneau, WildlifeBlitzGarneau, and TrackingWildlifeGarneau.
You can access the data and see a map of the 3 projects at their respective websites:
DON'T FORGET, in order to see your smartphone sightings on these websites above, you need to SYNC your data to the epicollect server. There is a SYNC button on your phone in Epicollect.
For those of you WITHOUT smartphones
Do not fret! I have created a Google Form where you can input your sightings to the project. See the drop-down menu (under "Smartphone Apps for Wildlife Observations") for each form. E-mail me your photo at [email protected] and be sure to label the image with the same roadkill or live wildlife sighting # you place in the form so I can pair the data with the picture. NOTE: If you need to find latitude/longitude coordinates, simply go to Google Maps and find the location you need, right click, select "What's here," and the latitude/longitude coordinates will appear in the search window box.
For those of you WITH smartphones
Instructions to upload and participate in wildlife observation collection on smartphones (Droid and iPhone/iPod/iPad):
For those of you WITHOUT smartphones
Do not fret! I have created a Google Form where you can input your sightings to the project. See the drop-down menu (under "Smartphone Apps for Wildlife Observations") for each form. E-mail me your photo at [email protected] and be sure to label the image with the same roadkill or live wildlife sighting # you place in the form so I can pair the data with the picture. NOTE: If you need to find latitude/longitude coordinates, simply go to Google Maps and find the location you need, right click, select "What's here," and the latitude/longitude coordinates will appear in the search window box.
For those of you WITH smartphones
Instructions to upload and participate in wildlife observation collection on smartphones (Droid and iPhone/iPod/iPad):
Also feel free to email me for my directions for upload if the ones posted below are confusing ([email protected]).
iNaturalist option for smartphone users struggling with Epicollect entry problems
If you want to use your smartphone but Epicollect is too glitchy for you, our friends at Adventurers and Scientists for Conservation have created iNaturalist projects for live animal sightings (ASC Wildlife Observations) and tracking wildlife sign (ASC Wildlife Track Project). Simply install iNaturalist as an app on your phone and seek out those 2 projects in which to participate.
iNaturalist option for smartphone users struggling with Epicollect entry problems
If you want to use your smartphone but Epicollect is too glitchy for you, our friends at Adventurers and Scientists for Conservation have created iNaturalist projects for live animal sightings (ASC Wildlife Observations) and tracking wildlife sign (ASC Wildlife Track Project). Simply install iNaturalist as an app on your phone and seek out those 2 projects in which to participate.
Press for the apps
The project was featured on NPR Weekend Edition, many thanks to reporter Sarah Harris for the piece. It was also featured on our local North Country Public Radio (NCPR) station (more colorful listen), Government Technology magazine, and Slashdot.org.
The project was featured on NPR Weekend Edition, many thanks to reporter Sarah Harris for the piece. It was also featured on our local North Country Public Radio (NCPR) station (more colorful listen), Government Technology magazine, and Slashdot.org.
Exciting News!
We will be working with Adventurers and Scientists for Conservation which partners outdoor enthusiasts with science projects. Bikers, hikers, kayakers etc. will be collecting data for these citizen science projects! The recently created a link from their webpage for our project!
We will be working with Adventurers and Scientists for Conservation which partners outdoor enthusiasts with science projects. Bikers, hikers, kayakers etc. will be collecting data for these citizen science projects! The recently created a link from their webpage for our project!
General Overview
First step is to download the app Epicollect from either the apple app store (iPhone) OR google play store (Droids). Once that is complete, you will need to upload the project forms WildlifeBlitzGarneau and/orRoadkillGarneau notes for upload are detailed for the device at the Epicollect website or shoot me an email for help.
Here is a sampling of the WildlifeBlitzGarneau project to get you excited! The snake was too quick for me to get a picture of it, but here is what it looked like.
First step is to download the app Epicollect from either the apple app store (iPhone) OR google play store (Droids). Once that is complete, you will need to upload the project forms WildlifeBlitzGarneau and/orRoadkillGarneau notes for upload are detailed for the device at the Epicollect website or shoot me an email for help.
Here is a sampling of the WildlifeBlitzGarneau project to get you excited! The snake was too quick for me to get a picture of it, but here is what it looked like.
Below are some examples of entries into the RoadkillGarneau app!
In the form, I included questions about habitat, scavengers, gender, road type, speed limit, traffic, etc. Below is a red squirrel entry, common in the North Country.
Below pictured is a painted turtle (Ausable, NY) that was one of 3 found as roadkill that were crossing the street from one small forested wetland to another (red star is location of roadkilled turtles, letter A is nearby residence). Good to know we have an active population in the area for the EREN turtle population estimation, but sad to have N= 3 fewer turtles in that population. Monitoring will continue and perhaps recommendations shared with the NYS DEC about herp crossing signage etc.
Hope to see you participating in these CITIZEN SCIENCE WILDLIFE PROJECTS!