Have you tried microvolunteering yet?
May 12, 2021
Daniel Greenwood, Volunteer Development Officer for the National Park, explains a new initiative aimed at encouraging people of all ages to microvolunteer and give nature a helping hand.
We have over 300 registered volunteers who are active through our Volunteer Ranger Service programme across the South Downs and we also have a project for people aged 16 to 25 called South Downs Youth Action. As you can imagine, it has been very challenging to undertake volunteering projects in the pandemic but we’re ready to kick on again in 2021.
Microvolunteering, however, is something that’s pandemic-proof for many people. We’re investing in this important area of volunteering to increase both impact and inclusion in the South Downs. Things like the Big Garden Bird Watch and Butterfly Count can be done from your window, garden or local green space. And we haven’t even mentioned the wonders of iNaturalist!
We’ll be issuing a seasonal email promoting microvolunteering opportunities through technology, training, events and much more. Please click here to sign up.
In the meantime, I’ll explain a bit more about the nature identification tools that are becoming really popular.
UK National Parks have launched LookWild, a project to capture species records with images using iNaturalist
You can take part in two ways:
- Download the iNaturalist app on your phone or tabletand submit species records directly from your device
- Submit photos via the iNaturalist website
If your record is located in a UK National Park, the record will be logged within the project. It’s easy!
iNaturalist uses artificial intelligence to offer species suggestions, combined with a group of real humans who form the iNaturalist community to offer an identification.
If you’re beginning on your journey of species identification you can also download the Seek app, which uses your phone camera to scan species and make a suggestion of what it is. iNaturalist is a great way to improve your knowledge and get help from other people at the click of a button.
This is a really exciting time for casual species monitoring and we hope you’ll take part!
