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The NYou can find more information atnwakThe olas Council is a group of five First Nations that works to restore an ecosystem that has been severely affected by climate change. The number of salmon that spawn in Knight Inlet has been declining as the rivers have warmed. Fewer salmon means fewer bears — and an unhealthy forest.
As we see in Ice and fire: Tracking Canada’s Climate CrisisA documentary by The Nature of ThingsThe council wanted to increase the number and quality of salmon spawning in the region by creating new cool freshwater channels.
The council believed that more salmon should equal more bears and a healthier ecosystem. Melanie Clapham, University of Victoria behavioural ecologist, was enlisted by the council to assist them. BearID ProjectFind out if the animals are returning.
BearID — an example of citizen, or community, science — allows anyone to take a photo of a bear they see and send it to Clapham and her team. Researchers can track the bear’s movements over time and determine if it is new to the area by using facial recognition software.
Clapham said that the software will get better at recognizing individual grizzly Bears if there are more images of the animal.
BearID information has been crucial in measuring the success and failure of the NYou can find more information atnwakRestoration project by the olas council. Their efforts have paid off. The healthier spawning streams attract more salmon, and thus more bears.
Powerful tool for everyone
There aren’t enough students and scientists to collect the data necessary to measure the effects of climate change. However, citizen science allows regular citizens to contribute observations and observations about the world around them. You can share information and photos with scientists through apps and websites.
EBird is a well-known citizen science project. It was launched by Cornell Lab of Ornithology and allows users to log bird sightings around the globe.
This program, which records more than 100 million bird sightings annually, is now one of the most important biodiversity-related science projects in the world.
EBird users are able to access data from any place, any year. This allows them to find out where to look for a particular species or which birds might be near them. Researchers use the same data for assessing the effects of climate change on animals. This information has been used in hundreds upon hundreds of scientific studies, as well as conservation decisions.
Citizen science benefits everyone
Citizen science doesn’t have to be about animals.
RinkWatchIt’s all about the backyard rink. Participants report on outdoor skating conditions and monitor their local weather. Robert McLeman is a professor of environment at Wilfrid Laurier University. He also co-founded RinkWatch. “Then [they]Report your skating conditions to us during the winter.
McLeman and his co-researchers were able, using the data, to predict an alarming decline in the number of days that are cold enough for skating by the end this century.
He said that the backyard rink was a cultural icon. “It’s part of … what being a Canadian is all about, and it would be a real shame if we lost that.”
WATCH: RinkWatch and citizen science are forming climate change.
A citizen science project is tracking outdoor skating conditions across North America and forecasting some dire predictions for those who enjoy their backyard rinks. 2:36
How to support climate change science in Canada
While scientists cannot visit every part of the country to collect data, citizen science projects give them access to all corners. This allows for more reliable data and more precise conclusions about climate and where we are headed.
Here are a few citizen science initiatives from Canada.
RinkWatchThe project monitors winter weather across North America using reports on local skating conditions. It also charts the impact of climate change across the continent.
RiverWatch: To improve their health, Generates data on the history and water quality of creeks and rivers throughout Alberta.
iNaturalist: Hikers and campers have the option to submit photos of animals, plants, and other natural features they encounter. Visitors to B.C.The provincial parks and protected areas of British Columbia can be uploaded data and information shared through the website. iNaturalistThe website and app can be used to make conservation decisions for the province.
BearID Project: A Vancouver Island team is working on facial recognition technology to monitor brown bears. They believe their software could be used to monitor other endangered species and aid conservation efforts around the globe.
Snowtweets: This project is run by the University of Waterloo and collects data about snow depth from Twitter submissions from around world. It is possible to view all the data online and compare it with satellite images from NASA.
Visit the government’s website for more information about community science projects in Canada. Citizen Science Portal.
Keep an eye out Ice and fire: Tracking Canada’s Climate CrisisOn The Nature of Things.
