Take a picture and help science
Thursday 14 April, 2022
Citizen science is a great way for anyone to visit nature and help protect Victoria’s important plants and animals. This April during Citizen Science Month, we are encouraging visitors to act for nature by visiting parks and capturing photos through Parks Victoria’s Data Discovery program.
What is citizen science?
There is so much to learn about our incredible natural world, we are lucky to have many amazing scientific brains researching and asking questions to help better our understanding.
Scientific studies can take a long time, so to help collect important data, the science world often enlists the help of the community to plan, collect and analyse information - we know this as citizen science.
Citizen science has helped gather important data across the world, supplying scientists with information needed to better understand biodiversity.
More recently, the need for citizen science data has been even greater as we tackle big global issues such as climate change and biodiversity loss. The more we know, the better we can understand the challenges contributing to the decline in health of our ecosystems and give us the opportunity to take critical action to protect habitats.
How can I help?
How to best observe wildlife and nature
Our photography tips:
• Focus on photographing one species close-up rather than taking a faraway shot. It is easier to identify a photo featuring an individual plant or animal.
• Take multiple photos from different angles to best capture different features of the plant or animal. Multiple photos will make sure the unique features of the species are recorded, making it easier to identify.
• Remember to be safe. Be careful where you walk and don’t venture off track to take photos!
Learn more about Parks Victoria’s Citizen Science programs. To find out more about Park Victoria’s work to protect nature, visit Conservation and Science.