Scientific discoveries calling CQ locals

Posted on April 15th, 2019

This Sunday is international Citizen Science Day and your chance to get your geek on!

There are loads of different citizen science projects running in central Queensland and heaps of exciting scientific discoveries to be made. Better yet, you don’t need to be a science whiz to get involved! Citizen science harnesses the enthusiasm and power of thousands of everyday interested people to collect data. This input enhances the range and depth of data for research, which in turn helps scientists assess the health of ecosystems and species and make informed decisions to better protect them.

Here are 10 citizen science projects that need your help:

Fitzroy Basin Association Inc. (FBA) – Team Turtle CQ
Walk beaches on the Curtis or Capricorn Coast during turtle nesting season and record any track or turtle sightings. To get involved email Emma.Grezl@fba.org.au and become a Team Turtle CQ member today!

Scoop a Poop
Collect possum poop so scientists can screen the droppings for antibiotic resistance genes. Contact fse.scoopapoop@mq.edu.au to learn more and request a collection kit.

Fitzroy Partnership for River Health – MyWater Community Portal
Test the health of your local waterways and report your findings to the MyWater Community Portal. Visit https://riverhealth.org.au/report_card/community/ to get involved.

Virtual Reef Diver
Discover and help the reef from the comfort of your lounge room. Visit www.virtualreef.org.au and start classifying and identifying coral, algae, sand and wildlife.

FrogID
Record the calls, croaks and whistles of frogs on the FrogID app and discover which species of frogs live near you while giving scientists information could be crucial in saving Australia’s frogs. Download the free app now.

Australian Marine Debris Initiative (AMDI)
Remove debris from your local marine environment then record that what you’ve found. This information helps Tangaroa Blue track the rubbish back to its source and create upstream strategies. To learn more or to request a clean-up kit visit https://www.tangaroablue.org/resources/how-to-manual.html

CoralWatch
Quantify the colour change of your local coral with Coral Health Chart and your findings will contribute to a global database. Visit https://coralwatch.org/ to join the worldwide movement.

FeralScan.org.au
Record sightings of pest species such as feral pigs, cane toads and tilapia and the damage they cause through the FeralScan phone app! To map a feral animal sighting in your local area visit www.feralscan.org.au.

Birdlife Australia – Birdata
Get out and discover which birds live in your backyard and local park all in the name of science! Input your findings to the Birdata app. Download the app free from Apple Store or Google Play and start counting!

Ant Picnic
Inform scientist about the food preferences of ants by throwing them a picnic. This international project helps scientists learn about climate change and is a heap of fun! Visit https://scistarter.org/ant-picnic to learn more.