New technologies and approaches for Citizen Science Deborah Procter Senior Monitoring Ecologist Citizen Science Working Group

outline Whiz through some existing approaches & techniques Pose 4 questions

outline Whiz through some existing approaches & techniques Pose 4 questions

UK Species Surveillance Schemes Wintering Birds – WeBS (BTO, JNCC, RSPB, WWT) 2000 wetlands, over 100 species recorded since1947 Bats - National Bat Monitoring Programme (BCT, JNCC, NE) 2500 sites, long term trends of 11 of UK’s 17 bat species Other mammals – National Gamebag Census (GWCT, JNCC) Data for 16 mammal species from 600 estates. Breeding Birds - Breeding Bird Survey (BTO, JNCC, RSPB) >3,000 1km squares, 2,500 volunteers, 3 times a year Seabirds - Seabird Monitoring Programme (JNCC,CEH, SNH, CCW, NE,NIEA.NTS,RSPB,SG,SOTEAG) 26 species monitored since 1986 Butterflies - UK BMS (BC, CEH, JNCC, NRW, Defra, NE, NIEA, FC, SGov, SNH) 1,000 transects, annual, many 100s volunteers, 16 (or 2) times a year Wider Countryside Butterfly Survey Collating presence data (distributions) ‘Biological Records Centre’ and ‘National Biodiversity Network’ 41,287 species 57+ million observations from 1,000s of volunteers

Indicators and Assessments

Monitoring change Sample systematically –Same method –At the same sampling sites (ideally - randomly selected) –Applied repeatedly (10+ years) But … not many examples covering few taxa –BTO bird schemes (BBS, WeBS, etc) –Butterfly Monitoring Scheme –Rothamsted insect survey –Seabird monitoring programme –National Bat Monitoring Programme

There are about 80 National Recording Schemes They cover about 12,500 terrestrial and freshwater species Many have runs of data from 1980 or earlier (30+ years) The data is increasingly available via NBN Gateway

Trend from ad hoc recording data Trends in British Biodiversity since Nick Isaac, Tom August, Gary Powney. figshare. Retrieved Oct 16,figshare

Invasive Non-Native Species UK NNSIP Policy need Volunteer recorders Linking to professional intervention

What tech do we have?

Widespread terrestrial species with inadequate surveillance to show status and trends at UK (GB) level GB Great Crested Newt surveillance plan © Crown copyright and database rights 2011 Ordnance Survey [ ]

eDNA detection method Photo: Robert ChapmanPicture: Biggs J, Ewald N, Valentini A, Gaboriaud C, Griffiths RA, Foster J, Wilkinson J, Arnett A, Williams P and Dunn F Analytical and methodological development for improved surveillance of the Great Crested Newt. Defra Project WC1067. Freshwater Habitats Trust: Oxford.

Citizen science delivers Distribution data Population data Observation data –species interaction –behaviour For nature conservation Site designation Habitat condition Species protection Biodiversity targets Ecosystem services INNS detection Pollinator Strategy

outline Whiz through some existing approaches & techniques Pose 4 questions

New technologies and approaches for Citizen Science 1. What new approaches to biodiversity monitoring will work for citizen scientists? 2. What technologies work best and why? 3. What new technologies are being developed? 4. Which of your biodiversity monitoring questions could best be tackled by citizen scientists?