After several months of hard work, the team in charge of our citizen science initiative on wildlife conservation has developed a new app for monitoring wildlife, and is now launching a campaign to promote its use among outdoor enthusiasts (hikers, hunters, farmers, photographers and more) living in or visiting Slovenia and wanting to become citizen scientists.
(*) Hereby we share the English version of the info shared through the different channels
SRNA: New app for monitoring wildlife
Monitoring (checking the distribution, numbers, etc.) of wildlife populations is fundamental for successful conservation or management plans of wildlife populations, whether we are talking about hunting or strictly protected species. Regular and systematic monitoring of several species is also required by Slovenian and European legislation. Not only researchers, but also nature lovers today can make an exceptional contribution for a better monitoring and understanding of wildlife populations and their needs.
To conduct easier, better, and more systematic monitoring of selected species of wild animals, we developed an application called SRNA in cooperation with the Hunting Association of Slovenia and three research institutions (University of Primorska, University of Ljubljana and Faculty of Environmental Protection of Velenje). The app can be downloaded via QR code or through this link and allows those interested to record the observations of different animal species in nature.
Those observations will contribute to a better understanding of wildlife, but you can also simply test your wildlife identification skills through a quiz, available in both Slovenian and English (the English version will be ready soon). The collected data will not only improve our understanding of wildlife, but also contribute to better management and protection of wild animals in Slovenia. The broad distribution of smartphones and the development of dedicated apps makes it now possible for everyone to contribute, and the role of “citizen scientists” is becoming extremely important. By connecting citizen science data with large datasets obtained from environmental observations, researchers can now address aspects previously unattainable with their strength alone.
You too can become a Citizen scientist!
By recording observations of both common and rare or endangered species, you can contribute to the understanding of their distribution and numbers, which will help researchers identify their densities and how the population is doing. Such knowledge will make it possible to develop conservation and management strategies enabling a harmonious coexistence of all species.
The app is available for both smartphone and computer and only asks for a one-time registration by email. Despite allowing for multiple data to be recorded, the app is user friendly and guides you from the beginning to the end of entering an observation by internal links and simple menus. Through the app, you will be able to get a graphical overview of your own entries and the overall information for the whole country. Additionally, you will be able to contact the researchers in the team with questions related to the project or your observations by writing to: stepchange@famnit.upr.si.
Researchers will keep you informed about the results and the most active participants will be rewarded. We will also reward the individuals with the most entries.
We kindly invite all of you to download the app and start recording your observations of wildlife whenever you encounter one, doesn’t matter if it is during a challenging hike or a stroll in the countryside!
If you want to know more about our citizen science initiative on wildlife monitoring you can visit our web and/ or watch a short introductory video we have developed (available in English & Slovenian)
