Help us document nature in Brimbank
Knowing what species are in our city and where they are helps us study and protect them, but the only way to do that is by all of us working together to find and document the nature in our area.
Help Brimbank and Greater Melbourne to compete with cities from around the world by taking pictures of wild plants and animals between April 26 – 29 using the iNaturalist app.
The iNaturalist app allows anyone to take a photo or sound observation, upload it, then have other people from around the world identify it. Every observation can contribute to biodiversity science, from the rarest butterfly to the most common backyard weed. These observations are then shared with scientific databases to help scientists find and use your data. All you have to do is observe.
Brimbank needs you, our community, to help us document our plants, animals and fungi, so that we can work to ensure it is protected.
How do you get involved?
To get involved all you have to do is download the iNaturalist app, watch this short video tutorial on how to make an observation, and then from 26 April – 29 April 2024 find wild plants and animals in your local park or reserve, take a picture and upload it to the app. That’s all. Super easy.
Want to learn more about our local plants and animals and how to record them? Join our City Nature Challenge event at Sydenham Park on Saturday 27 of April, from 2pm. We’ll help you get the hang of using iNaturalist and spotting what should be recorded.
What if i am not an expert on plants and animals?
You don’t need to be. iNaturalist has a helpful function where it suggests visually similar species, and if you’re really stuck putting in ‘bird’ or ‘insect’ is good enough. iNaturalist has experts who can identify species based on the photos and basic information you provide. This is a great feature as you will also be able to learn new species as you go.
By participating in the City Nature Challenge, not only do you learn more about your local nature, but you can also make your city a better place – for you and other species.
