With summer almost here, now is the perfect time to get out of the house and enjoy Australia’s great outdoors. And what better way to do it than by joining one of the citizen science events that are happening across the country this November! Not only will you be out enjoying nature, but you’ll be […]
Two boys and a lady looking at long grass.
Why not get outdoors this November and help improve Australia’s biodiversity knowledge by joining a citizen science event? Credit: Sydney Olympic Park Authority

With summer almost here, now is the perfect time to get out of the house and enjoy Australia’s great outdoors. And what better way to do it than by joining one of the citizen science events that are happening across the country this November! Not only will you be out enjoying nature, but you’ll be making a valuable contribution to Australia’s biodiversity knowledge as well, with recorded sightings being fed into the Atlas of Living Australia(ALA).

Events include the Mimosa Rocks BioBlitz, which is taking place on the 7th and 8th of November; the World Parks Congress BioBlitz, which will be held in Sydney on Sunday November 16th; and the National Koala Count, which will run from the 7th to 17th of November.

The picturesque Mimosa Rocks National Park is located on the NSW south coast and is home to an amazing array of flora and fauna, including Potaroos, Glossy Black-cockatoos, orchids, and cycads to name just a few. The Mimosa Rocks BioBlitz will include 43 surveys hosted by expert scientists and naturalists. For more information, including what surveys are happening when and how to register, please visit www.alcw.org.au.

Large moth sitting on a person's hand
Just one of the beautiful creatures you might discover. Credit: Libby Hepburn

The World Parks Congress (WPC) BioBlitz is happening as part of PlanetFest, and, with the help of families and nature lovers, aims to capture a snapshot of the biodiversity at Sydney Olympic Park. Experts will take participants on guided nature surveys where they’ll go hunting for birds, insects, plants, frogs and water bugs. There will be hands on displays in the BioBlitz marquee, providing the opportunity to learn more about BioBlitz events and how they assist protected area managers to involve the public in scientific surveys. For more information and to register for the event, please visit http://wpcbioblitz.eventbrite.com.au.

Both the Mimosa Rocks and WPC BioBlitz events are using the international product, iNaturalist, to register sightings. These records will be incorporated into the ALA on a regular basis.

Two koalas sitting on a branch
Join the fun of the National Koala Count and help us better understand these furry friends.

And for those who aren’t in NSW, why not take part in the National Koala Count, which is open to participants across Australia. A freely-available, GPS-enabled smartphone app, BioTag, has been developed especially for the event by the ALA. The app allows participants to easily record their koala sightings anywhere across the country. BioTag is available for both android and Apple mobile devices and can be downloaded from Google play and iTunes, just search for BioTag. People who do not own a smartphone or tablet can enter their sightings directly into the National Parks Association’s Data Portal. To get involved, simply register at www.koalacount.org.au, download BioTag, or log onto the Data Portal, and you are ready to start counting!

By participating in any (or all!) of these events you will be helping to build a more comprehensive picture of the numbers and locations of Australian plant and animal species across the landscape, which is highly important for the effective management of our precious and unique biodiversity.