Why this target group?
These applications have great potential for promoting environmental and science education and awareness and are optimized for use as teaching tools for a range of age groups.
In this phase of the project, we focused on university and middle school students studying topics in the natural resource disciplines, such as biological and environmental sciences, veterinary medicine, forestry and agricultural engineering. These tools are also appropriate for professionals in government agencies or NGOs working in the policy and environmental sector.
Why participate?
Citizen Science promotes an active participation in the generation of knowledge for the conservation of nature.
Collaborating in the recording of wildlife is an opportunity to enjoy the outdoors, learn about your environment and gain a deeper understanding of the natural world.
The potential of collaborative science can be harnessed to ensure that this information is processed and shared effectively.
Sharing these records can help answer global and wide-scale questions that cannot be answered on a local level. Scientific output from these data will be reported on the web site.
How to participate?
The MammalNet project will be organizing free online training videos and courses (to be announced shortly) to train students and professionals in the use of these apps. These courses will allow you to get the most out of the apps and to properly manage the information collected by these tools.
By participating in MammalNet, you will also join a network of collaborators and will contribute to the project’s overall aims and activities.
You can start collaborating by using the apps promoted by the project, and recording and/or identifying the wildlife in your local environment.
The iMammalia mobile app is very user-friendly, allowing users to record incidental observations of different species. Including photographs of the species or their signs, such as footprints, droppings, and food remains, makes record validation easier.
The MammalWeb application allows scientific citizens to easily upload all photos registered in camera traps, always respecting the confidentiality of their precise location. Species are identified by citizens and experts, generating data of great scientific value.
The MammalWeb application also allows participation by identifying photos from your own camera traps or collaborating by identifying photos from other regions or collaborators. You’ll be able to enjoy the many fantastic images uploaded by other participants. Don’t worry If you don’t have previous experience—in a very short time you will be able to identify most of the species captured by the app and other users will monitor and validate the photos you identify.
