Canberra Nature Map Community & Photos
Posted by MichaelBedingfield
Introduction
Canberra Nature Map is a citizen science website on the NatureMapr platform. It is dedicated to the collection of knowledge on all species of animals, plants and other wildlife in the Canberra and Southern Tablelands region. It is a research and education tool provided free of charge to anyone from the general public and is sponsored and used by the ACT Government. It is valuable for the management of our nature reserves, our local fauna and flora as well as the conservation of rare or threatened species and the controlling of noxious weeds and pests. Volunteer experts provide identification of wildlife images and the locations of all sightings are mapped. Comprehensive species lists are provided for all categories of wildlife in our region, as well as for hundreds of places. There are over 6700 members on Canberra Nature Map. This community is being formed into a ParkCare group with the same name. This ParkCare group has been created to increase the effectiveness of the citizen science website and to enable greater opportunities for cooperation in on ground activitie
The members of Canberra Nature Map have had some very successfull meetings over the growing season of 2022-2023. New opportunities for increasing cooperative events and the effectiveness of the citizen science website are being explored.
A commitee has been elected to represent the community. They are:
Emma Collins, CNM moderator and commitee convenor - EmmaCollins
Michael Mulvaney, NatureMapr administrator - MichaelMulvaney
Michael Bedingfield, NatureMapr administrator - MichaelBedingfield
Kim Pullen, CNM moderator - KimberiRP
Ian Baird, CNM moderator - ibaird
Stuart Harris, CNM moderator - Harrisi
Ciaran Ernst-Russell, CNM moderator - Tapirlord
Yumi Callaway, CNM moderator - YumiCallaway
Mary Webb, CNM moderator - MaryWebb
Social Media
Helen Cross (HelenCross) and Matthew Frawley (MatthewFrawley) do the work to keep our activites on show on FaceBook, Instagram and Twitter.
Canberra Nature Map Newsletter
We publish a quarterly newsletter and the editor is Alison Milton (AlisonMilton).
The newsletters are available for download (pdf) at this page: https://canberra.naturemapr.org/content/cnmnewsletterpage
ParkCare Group
We are now registered with the ACT Government as a ParkCare Group. This is part of our intention to have more community activities, field days and interaction with other environment groups.
Conservation Council
We have joined the Conservation Council ACT Region to enhance our connection with Canberra's many environment groups.
ACT Landcare award for Citizen Science Award 2019
In 2019 CNM and Aaron Clausen's NatureMapr won the ACT Government Citizen Science Award, see announcement here: https://actlandcare.org.au/2019/11/26/winners-of-2019-act-landcare-awards-announced/
Associated community groups
Other community groups that have been very involved with CNM and have made great contrbutions to its growth and management are the Canberra Ornithologists Group, ACT Herpetological Association, Friends of Grasslands and Australian Native Plant Society Canberra.
Research Projects
We have members doing research through the utilities of the CNM website. These are projects which are in place at the moment:-
Gang-gang movement study - sightings of identifiable birds, being done by Michael Mulvaney.
The Winter Pollinator Research Project, being undertaken by Roger Farrow.
Canberra Urban Biodiversity Surveys, supported by Emma Collins.
Also we have the Help us help our pollinators, being coordinatd by Meredith Cosgrove.
The exhibition launch and presentation of awards for the Canberra Nature Map Photographic Competition.
The exhibition of successful contributors was held at the CSIRO Discovery Centre on 22 May 2024. For more information about the competition and winners see:- https://canberra.naturemapr.org/content/cnmphotocompetition
Dealing with Weeds - ACT Weeds Manual
Many CNM people are involved with weed management. A very useful online book is the ACT Weeds Manual, containing excellent photos taken mostly by CNM members. View or download your copy at this address:
https://sactcg.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/ACT-Weeds-Manual-23.pdf
The launch of the online book entitled "ACT Weeds Manual" on 31 Oct. 2023. This was a collaborative effort from a number of environment groups and Vera Kurz, shown holding the book, was the driving force. See note above on "Dealing with Weeds" to get your copy.
Photos from the Field Day at Mt Taylor on 9 Oct. 2023, led by Ciaran Ernst-Russell (Tapirlord) and Matthew Frawley and the walk led by Ciaran to the summit of Sentry Box Mountain on 19 Nov. 2022.
Photos from Field Day & Tour of Southern Tablelands Ecosystem Park (STEP), 23 June 2023
CNM member and moderator Stuart Harris (Harrisi), Su Rammohan and Amie Lording, and a new jumping spider. See Canberra Times article, Feb. 5 2023:
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/8072121/i-spy-with-my-citizen-science-eye/
A New Species found. On 12 August 2021 Susan Wishart posted a sighting of a butterfly from the Namadgi NP. It was identified as a new population of Paralucia, and provisionally identified as P. spinifera – the Bathurst or Purple Copper. Subsequent study of the Namadgi Paralucia found it to be a new species Paralucia crosbyi. See write up on CNM at: https://canberra.naturemapr.org/species/14231?p=2 Also see the research paper at: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/aen.12688. Photo by DPRees125.
