From frogs to flies, and parrots to praying mantises, citizen science is helping uncover flora and fauna secrets that exist in our own backyard.
Following on from landmark citizen science discoveries across Australia, new wildlife wonders are poised to be revealed closer to home with this weekend's launch of the Australian Citizen Science Association's (ACSA) NSW chapter.
The Saturday 21 June launch at the Awabakal Environmental Education Centre in the Lake Macquarie suburb of Dudley marks the latest step in ACSA's rapid growth since it was formed in 2014.
The launch, supported by Lake Macquarie City Council, kicks off at 10am and will include talks from senior ACSA members and a guided 'BioBlitz', with participants scouring the Awabakal Centre's grounds to identify birds, invertebrates, plants and mammals.
ACSA Vice Chair Larissa Braz Sousa said the association sought to advance citizen science through the sharing of knowledge, collaboration, capacity building and advocacy.
"Citizen science is about making scientific discovery more accessible by inviting people to contribute their passion and expertise," she said.
"It often involves collecting data and analysing results, but it extends to many other forms of participation, fostering collaboration with scientists and field experts."
"It's a great way to harness community skills and passion to answer questions about our world and how it works."
Australian citizen science projects have been credited with a number of significant discoveries in recent years, including:
- A species of moth fly in Brisbane, previously only known to exist in Portugal
- A new genus of praying mantis in Victoria
- A new mosquito species in Queensland's Cape York
- A rare observation of a threatened native slug in northern NSW
- A previously undetected breeding population of the vulnerable gang gang cockatoo in suburban Campbelltown in Sydney
Other surprise citizen science discoveries include two new species of extremely vocal frogs: the slender bleating tree frog in Queensland and the screaming tree frog in NSW.
Lake Macquarie City Council Coordinator Sustainability Engagement Zoe Johnson said other citizen science projects were reaping rewards closer to home.
"Seahorse observations and sightings in Swansea Channel have added value to scheduling channel stabilisation works, and observations of koalas, gliders and other mammals have helped increase our understanding of local populations," she said.
"You never know when your observation might be important, but every record can assist – plus it's an amazing hobby.
Dr Braz Sousa added that anyone, regardless of age or expertise, could become a citizen scientist.
"Not everyone will discover a new species, but every piece of information that is logged and collated has a meaningful impact on our understanding of the natural world," she said.
Go to citizenscience.org.au
