Johann G. Zaller, Florian Heigl, Daniel Dörler, Benjamin DauthInstitute of Zoology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna (BOKU), Austria
Combine these two concepts!Austrian Biodiversity Strategy 2020+ proposes to also implement Citizen Science approaches
Main aim• providing a timely and extensive overview of the status of
(selected) biodiversity issues
Even more important• involves and empowers participating citizens
Biodiversity & Citizen Sciencetwo buzzwords with many meanings
Currently hosts 20 projects with thousands of participants - started 3 months ago
Benefit for citizensOne single platform for citizen science in Austria
Benefits for project leaders• Efficient networking among peers• Organisation of conferences & workshops• Joint public relations & media activities
Benefits for all membersVery efficient interaction through multiplecommunication channels
The Austrian Platform for Citizen Sciencewww.citizen-science.at
Roadw w w . r o a d k i l l . a t
Magnitude of animal roadkills is unclear
Aims of the project• Getting an overview on the number and distribution of roadkills• Examining underlying causes• Awareness-raising for participants
Our visions• Identify hotspots and adress those areas• Reducing the number of roadkilled animals
Project RoadkillTowards more saftey for people and animals
Roadw w w . r o a d k i l l . a t
Roadkill identification easy
Use your Smartphone or Tablet1. Go to vote.boku.ac.at 2. Type in Voting ID: RQRJ 3. Type in your choice
Roadkill identification - easy
Choice A: Amphibian
Characteristics• vertebrate• permeable skin• aquatic live stage
Examplestoads, frogs, newts
Choice B: Mammal
Characteristics• vertebrate• hair• mammary glands
Examplesboars, hares, deer, fox
Choice C: Bird
Characteristics• vertebrate• feathers• beak
Examplesblackbird, owl, hawk
Choice D: Reptile
Characteristics• vertebrate• horny epidermis• no aquatic live stage
Examplessnake, lizards, turtle
1
A B C D
Roadw w w . r o a d k i l l . a t
Roadkill identification easy
Use your Smartphone or Tablet1. Go to vote.boku.ac.at 2. Type in Voting ID: HBKQ 3. Type in your choice
Roadkill identification - challenging 2
Choice A: Amphibian
Characteristics• vertebrate• permeable skin• aquatic live stage
Examplestoads, frogs, newts
Choice B: Mammal
Characteristics• vertebrate• hair• mammary glands
Examplesboars, hares, deer, fox
Choice C: Bird
Characteristics• vertebrate• feathers• beak
Examplesblackbird, owl, hawk
Choice D: Reptile
Characteristics• vertebrate• horny epidermis• no aquatic live stage
Examplessnake, lizards, turtle
A B C D
Roadw w w . r o a d k i l l . a t
Roadkill identification challenging
Use your Smartphone or Tablet1. Go to vote.boku.ac.at 2. Type in Voting ID: MJWF 3. Type in your choice
Roadkill identification - tough 3
Choice A: Amphibian
Characteristics• vertebrate• permeable skin• aquatic live stage
Examplestoads, frogs, newts
Choice B: Mammal
Characteristics• vertebrate• hair• mammary glands
Examplesboars, hares, deer, fox
Choice C: Bird
Characteristics• vertebrate• feathers• beak
Examplesblackbird, owl, hawk
Choice D: Reptile
Characteristics• vertebrate• horny epidermis• no aquatic live stage
Examplessnake, lizards, turtle
A B C D
Roadw w w . r o a d k i l l . a t
Roadkill identification tough
• Provides evidence for policymakers• Deals with environmental issues that directly affect citizens• Helps to halt the loss of biodiversity
Project RoadkillPolicy implications & benefits for biodiversity
We are ready for Europe and beyond!
Image Credits: Amphibian Tunnel (1) by ACO Wildlife, http://www.aco-wildlife.com
Imagine the future
Roadw w w . r o a d k i l l . a t
Results from the Citizen Science Project Roadkill feed into vehicle navigation systems and warn of roadkill hotspots.
Conclusion• Citizen Science is a fantastic tool to investigate
environmental problems• Project leaders and policy makers need to be aware
of its limitations• Citizen Science is not for free - it still needs experts
Citizen Science & BiodiversityLessons learned
Citizen Science Austriawww.citizen-science.at
[email protected] 0043 1 476 543 211
facebook.com/csaustria
twitter.com/csaustria
Project Roadkillwww.roadkill.at
[email protected] 0043 1 476 543 211
facebook.com/project.roadkill
twitter.com/ProjektRoadkill
Contact
Roadw w w . r o a d k i l l . a t
Project Roadkill is powered by SPOTTERON, the easy to use smartphone app system for Citizen Science.www.spotteron.com
Scan this code
and download the app!
www.roadkill.at/app