The NSW Government is calling on the community to become “COVID-19 conservationists” and help spot koalas, malleefowl and mountain pygmy-possums from the comfort and safety of their own homes.
Environment Minister Matt Kean said with many of us looking for something meaningful to do during social distancing, there is no better time to jump on the DigiVol website to help monitor some of our most threatened species.
“National Parks and Wildlife Service set up more than 75 motion-triggered cameras in bush and scrub-land across the State to capture thousands of photos every week and give us insight into the secret lives of native animals and other species,” Mr Kean said.
“The images are fascinating but with tens of thousands of photographs in the database, we’re relying on citizen science volunteers to help us sort through them.
“It’s like ‘Where’s Wally?’ for native animal conservation and believe me – there are some pretty amazing things to be seen.
“You might catch a koala enjoying happy hour in Gunnedah, mountain pygmy possums gathering for some tucker in Kosciusko National Park or even a malleefowl busily moving tonnes of sand to build a 1-metre-high nest mound in western NSW.
“The images are important in helping us learn more about threatened species and their behaviors to shape the conservation work we are doing to save them.”
“By jumping on the DigiVol website, you can stay home and stay safe, while also directly contributing to the conservation of unique and rare animals in NSW,” Mr Kean said.
For more information and to get involved in the project, visit: https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/research-and-publications/your-research/citizen-science/digital-projects/digivol
