Citizen science data more accessible than ever before

Parliamentary secretary for the environment Anthony Carbines this week launched the new web portals for the Waterwatch and EstuaryWatch programs, with community volunteers in Aireys Inlet. Waterwatch and EstuaryWatch are fulfilling a critical role in monitoring of the environmental water agreement in the Painkalac creek that is seeing water from the Painkalac Dam released as environmental flows.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo: L-R Anthony Carbines, Alice Knight, Philip Wilson, Leonie Mugavin and Ros Gibson

 

The new Watch program portals will revolutionize how citizen science water quality data is managed, and its ability to inform catchment planning. The Watch programs are well established, pre-eminent citizen science programs connection local Victorian communities with water issues including sustainability, water management and the health of local waterways.

The websites for both these programme’s now provide a central location for its members, and the community, to access information and participate in activities and monitoring of local waterways and estuaries.   Anthony Carbines was most impressed and emphasised that “The new portals make water quality data gathered by citizen scientists across the state more accessible to planners and strategic decision makers than ever before”.                                

The Victorian Government committed $80,000 in June 2015 to fund the development of the new data portals, this funding was support with a further $10,000 from the Corangamite CMA. The Centre for eResearch and Digital Innovation at Federation University developed the new portals, working with monitors and program coordinators from across the state to ensure the portals met local conditions and strategic priorities.

Federation University have also contributed a $105,000 PhD Scholarship to support a PhD conduct research focusing on the growth of citizen science as a tool for building repositories of knowledge to inform policy and management.

The Waterwatch and EstuaryWatch portals are now live, program coordinators and monitors are being trained across the state to be able to upload their data.

Written by Amy Leith, Corangmite CMA