Botfriends Citizen Science
Join us in collecting data to help understand and protect the environment around the Bot River Estuary. Botfriends has initiated a project using the iNaturalist platform that will allow everyone to contribute to the project, using your own devices on your own time!
What is iNaturalist?
iNaturalist is a platform that provides a place for nature enthusiast, experts and amateurs alike, to record and organise nature findings
- Upload media for automated identification
- Confirmation of identification by wider community
- Contribute to larger projects
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Read here for more information
How do I contribute?
This can be done through an internet browser or using the iNaturalist App
Start adding observations from around the Bot River estuary, taking care to provide an accurate location for each observation
What can I observe?
Everything! Plants, mammals, birds, reptiles, insects and even fungi
How will the data be used?
- Botfriends will use the data to create field guides for naturalists new to the area
- If we know what we have, we can better argue for its protection. Having knowledge is the key to lobbying the Municipality and other land owners to better care for this environment and possibly rehabilitate disturbed areas.
- The data can be used by SANBI to improve vegetation maps and any ecologist/conservationist can access the data to understand what we have and understand how to protect it.
I’m still confused… I don’t know how to do any of this, but I want to be a citizen scientist!
Then contact us to join one of our upcoming iNaturalist training sessions.
