Citizen science is giving us all an opportunity to contribute to our understanding of the condition of the natural environment. The uptake of handheld devices with GPS capability means we can all engage and contribute by documenting what we see around us and sharing it with organisations including the Atlas of Living Australia.
The Atlas of Living Australia is a collaborative, national project that aggregates biodiversity data from multiple sources and makes it available and usable online.
Bridie Smith wrote about the growing power of citizen science in The Age last weekend. Her story reports on the recent “Bio Blitz” conducted by the City of Melbourne.
As Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability in Victoria, I will be looking at new ways to tap into the priceless resource that is our community.
I encourage you to contribute to the body of knowledge by becoming a citizen scientist.