Play your part as a citizen scientist

The beauty of citizen science lies in its accessibility—anyone, regardless of background or expertise, can get involved. Whether you’re a passionate nature enthusiast, a weekend hiker, or simply curious about Tasmania’s wildlife, the WildTracker program is a way for everyone to get involved. Through the easy-to-use WildTracker website, you can submit your camera trap observations, which are then integrated into larger databases that help conservationists and researchers track and protect local species.

Why citizen scientists are so important

While biodiversity monitoring programs are growing globally, they often focus on the more charismatic species (think greater bilby, not greater stick-nest rat), and are usually limited to protected areas. This approach overlooks the threats faced by species on private land, where most of us live. It’s on these lands that we have the greatest opportunity to make a difference through better land management and habitat restoration.

The sad reality is that monitoring efforts tend to improve only as a species nears extinction. Even more troubling, many of Australia’s threatened species are still not being monitored at all.

Citizen science programs that collate participants’ wildlife observations, like TLC’s WildTracker and iNaturalist, hold enormous potential to address these shortfalls. These programs allow for data collection on a far larger scale than traditional professional surveys could ever achieve. Studies have shown that community-driven monitoring programs cover more sites, track more species, produce data comparable to professional surveys, and enable faster decision-making in environmental management.

While this “big data” doesn’t replace the need for more formal monitoring efforts, it complements and enhances them. Good monitoring helps us measure the health of our environment, understand its dynamics, and allocate limited conservation resources more effectively. It also engages the public and policymakers, reinforcing our shared efforts to protect species now and into the future.

You can be a part of this important work too. You’re already in a prime position to monitor the wildlife on your own property. Simply register for WildTracker and upload your camera trap observations—whether it’s of a charismatic species or the possum that visits you every night. Every observation counts!