Imagine a world where we did not document what we saw or heard. We would not know what butterfly species existed or understand the difference between the sound of a bird and a frog at night. All in all, we would be clueless about the environment around us. Recording our observations is not just important for science, it is crucial for our survival as well. It is like journaling every moment we experience, which not only allows us to express ourselves but enables us to revisit, learn and refine our understanding over time. This way, we can identify our mistakes and do better in areas that need improvement.
There is a lot of biodiversity out there, both known and unknown, especially among small and shy creatures like amphibians, insects, certain birds and reptiles. And if we do not record sightings, we risk having deficient data on their existence, potentially harming them without even realising it.
We hosted our last webinar of the year on the 15th of November, which focused on Citizen Science: Atlasing in Namibia. Alice Jarvis, an experienced web developer and researcher from JARO Consultancy, delivered an insightful presentation on the atlasing component of the Environmental Information Service (EIS) platform (http://the-eis.com/). This webinar highlighted the role of public participation in biodiversity data collection to support conservation efforts in Namibia.
What is Citizen Science Atlasing and why does it matter?
Citizen science atlasing involves individuals collecting and recording environmental (flora and fauna) data as part of collaborative projects with professional scientists. This voluntary participation enhances scientific understanding while fostering community engagement in conservation.
The EIS atlasing system allows users to record a wide range of species, including terrestrial and marine mammals, reptiles, amphibians, indigenous plants, birds, insects, and even archaeological and cultural heritage data like rock paintings. Some examples of atlasing projects include Southern African Bird Atlas Project (SABAP) for recording birds, Giraffe Spotter, Tree Atlas Project and Raptor Road Counts. These projects support various environmental objectives such as monitoring species distributions, assessing impacts of infrastructure, tracking invasive species, and informing Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs).
Recording biodiversity provides important data that helps scientists with detecting threats to ecosystems, tracking expansions and contractions of species ranges, as well as educating communities. For instance, recording the density and distribution of an invasive plant species infesting wetlands can help reduce further infestation in other waterways, which may disrupt water flow and socio-economic activities like fishing and hydroelectric power generation.
Furthermore, recording our biodiversity contributes to cultural and archaeological heritage preservation, engages the youth in science education as well as supporting sustainable tourism development.
Atlasing on the Namibian EIS
The Namibian EIS offers two user-friendly platforms for atlasing: the website and a mobile app, which can be downloaded on both Android and iOS devices. Participants are encouraged to register and contribute through either of these platforms, with each offering unique advantages. The website requires one to have internet connection to upload data, while the app allows real-time data submissions even without internet connection, as long as GPS is enabled on the device. Data from both platforms will be synchronised automatically when the device is back online.
When recording, participants are encouraged to include as much information as possible, such as group size, habitat and behaviour, especially when there are no photographs included. Critically, if the recorder is uncertain about what species they have seen, they can mark it for an expert to check the photographs and other evidence. Sightings of species outside their known ranges need good photographic evidence that can be confirmed by experts.
An important attribute on the EIS atlasing platform is how the system blurs sensitive information, i.e., the location of certain vulnerable or endangered species like pangolins and rhinos. This is done to protect them from poaching or any form of exploitation.
Conclusion
The Namibian EIS demonstrates how collective action can advance environmental conservation. By empowering everyone to actively participate, this initiative fosters a sense of stewardship over natural heritage. With accessible tools like the EIS website and app, anyone with a smartphone or computer can contribute. That way, we can all get involved in preserving Namibia’s biodiversity for future generations.
Click here to download the PowerPoint Presentation (pptx, 15 mb)