The Art of Citizen Science

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We are living in the digital era, a time when technology surrounds us, and gadgets are more abundant than ever before. Today, nearly everything can be photographed and instantly shared with the world.

Turns out, science has been able to take advantage of this. 

There are far too many species on Earth for scientists to identify and study them all. With limited professionals and funding, our ability to understand and protect biodiversity is severely restricted.

On the other hand, we live more disconnected from nature than ever before, so we may not see the value of other species in our lives. So, if we don’t study or simply don’t realise species exist around us, we won’t be able to care about them, live in harmony with them and, ultimately, protect them. 

Not that we should study everything, because there is also a limit to where science can interfere. But the fact is, if species are not seen, we won’t care about them, if they don’t get studied, we won’t know their importance; and thus protected landscapes won’t be created, and limits to our human growth won’t be established, and so we end up exploiting every single bit of this planet. In other words, we have no idea of the real impacts our actions may have on ‘invisible’ yet crucial biodiversity.

Indeed, the full extent of what and how much we are losing in terms of wildlife is unknown, but considering our impact on habitat destruction and climate change, there are pretty alarming studies and estimates. We may be losing vital species for the balance of ecosystems and important foundations to life-support systems and the food chain.

Among many others, you may already be aware that organisms like bees or krill that are vital for the sustainability of many food chains are in critical decline. 

However, it would be completely impossible for science and the few scientists and experts to keep up with studies on changes in ecosystems and wildlife due to constant human development, infrastructure growth, and direct and indirect disruption to wildlife.

Plus, money-wise, the priorities of public money seem less and less aligned with nature and biodiversity protection. 

But here is the good news! We don’t need to be experts to give our contribution. In fact, we can have great fun taking photos outdoors and then using them to support scientific studies. 

How, you wonder?

Through the power of citizen science, which involves the engagement of the general public with projects around a specific field of study (ecology, biology, conservation, health, etc.). Among many ways of participation, taking photos can be one of the most original and fun ways of support. And that’s the case of the wonderful project iNaturalist. An interactive platform (and two smartphone applications) that we can use outdoors, where we simply need to upload photos of living things around us and let the global community of enthusiasts and experts work on the identification. Well, we do need to have some sense of purpose and respect some rules, especially if we really want to contribute, but it is pretty straightforward.  

And perhaps one of the most important things with this challenge is that we get to spend more time outdoors, either alone, with loved ones, or community members, and gradually get to know more and more about the other amazing species that inhabit the same area as we do. Thus, culminating in bringing us closer and more connected to Nature with the great plus of supporting citizen science projects. Who knows if one of our random photos will end up helping save a species? How awesome would that be?

We, Projeto Gea, have been using iNaturalist over the past 5 years, and we keep learning from it. Sometimes, we use the platform just to get to know a few species that spark our interest; other times, to register as many species as possible in a designated area, like the park near our house or the natural protected area in our county; and, other times, just by virtually interacting with other users and supporting one another in the identification of species. Though in this last case, we need to get acquainted with the process, as otherwise it can turn into misleading information in the platform's database.

We truly believe in the concepts of citizen science and “think globally and act locally”, and very much support and encourage the use of the iNaturalist project. 

So, allow us to share some of the reasons why we should use iNaturalist:

• Our observations expand knowledge of biodiversity;

• Scientists and experts use our data to monitor species distributions and conservation status;

• Our records support research that might otherwise go undone;

• The platform is built on community support and can connect us with experts;

• We’ll learn more about your local wildlife, including whether they’re threatened;

• iNaturalist is part of a global effort to protect biodiversity;

• It’s free, easy to use, and available as a smartphone app;

• It’s a fun, rewarding way to spend more time in nature.

We invite you to give it a try and have fun with your nature photos, while learning something about one or a few living organisms around you. Feel free to share your experience or to follow us on the platform.

Main inspiration source: TED Talk by Scott Loarie ‘The Surprising Power of Your Nature Photos’

Link to website: https://www.inaturalist.org/