A strategy to get more people involved in citizen science and a round of grant funding were announced today by Queensland’s Minister for Science Leeanne Enoch.
“The new Queensland Citizen Science Strategy and grants scheme will help boost community participation in research projects and encourage more people to engage in science” Ms Enoch said.
“Our new strategy and grants are all about mobilising Queenslanders to help our scientists with important research projects, because the more eyes and ears you’ve got out there, the better” she said.
“You don’t have to be a scientist to be involved – all you need is the curiosity to find out more about our world.”
There are already more than a hundred citizen science projects relevant to Queenslanders according to a government database.
Local groups in the Redlands have been doing citizen science for many years, monitoring seagrass and mangrove growth in selected parts of Moreton Bay.
A project involving eight koalas wearing satellite trackers enabled the Koala Action Group to obtain valuable data about koala movement in the area around Toondah Harbour.
Bird watching enthusiasts (birders) have helped researchers obtain data about changes in the number of migratory shorebirds in Queensland.
Information obtained by members of the Queensland Wader Study Group helped researchers to understand that the populations of some shorebird species had declined significantly.
The Wader Study Group’s data gathering efforts ultimately lead to increased Federal Government protection of two migratory shorebird species, the Eastern Curlew and Curlew Sandpiper.
These species were listed in 2015 as Critically Endangered under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. An international action plan for the Far Eastern curlew was ratified by 22 countries.
Applying for citizen science grants
Grants of up to $30,000 are available to applicants over a period of up to three years.
The first round of the Queensland Citizen Science Grants scheme opens from today and closes on 25 March.
Redlands2030 – 24 January 2019
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