Organiser Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research (MWLR) recently released data about citizen scientist participation rates boasting a record number of surveys completed nationally thisyear — 7919 of them.
Northland’s participation rate was up 40% with 364 surveys submitted, compared with 260 last year.
A spokesperson for MWLR said data gathered on bird species would still take several weeks to process through a specialised system. However, what was already known was that together, participants from all corners of the country had counted 300,949 birds across 131 species. In Northland, 16,376 birds were counted by 487 adults and 252 children. It wasn’t yet known how many schools had taken part.
They might be a bit tricky to count, but bird numbers collected yearly by householders nationwide provide scientists with an important insight into wider aspects of our ecology. Photo / Lisa Baillie
The annual survey, which began in 2007, is now the country’s longest-running citizen science project. Interest in it has increased yearly. In this year’s survey, which ran from June 29 to July 7, Northland had one of the highest increases in participation rates.
However, the biggest contributions came from Auckland (1636), Wellington (1174) and Canterbury (1125).
Survey results are an important “litmus test” type tool that helps researchers understand how birds are coping with environmental challenges, including issues affecting the food chain, such as the recent emergence of zombie fish. Building a long-term biodiversity data set was also crucial to understanding the impact of climate change on ecosystems and biodiversity, MWLR said.
Sarah Curtis is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate focusing on a wide range of issues. She has nearly 20 years’ experience in journalism, much of which she spent court reporting. She is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.
