[Update 13 Jul '20: Initially planned to run from 7 Apr to 01 Jun 2020, the NSS Circuit Breaker Nature Sightings project has been extended to be an ongoing project. The project has been renamed to NSS Singapore Nature Sightings.]
Help us document the wildlife in and around your home and discover your local biodiversity living right under your nose. Meet experts and pick up a skill to bring the joy of nature appreciation to your family members and friends.
Photograph and upload your nature sightings made at/from home while practising social distancing.
Note:
Do be sure to click "Join Project" so we can view your sightings.
5 Reasons to Join the Project
Because you want to...
1. Start a New Hobby
With
a powerful AI to help you identify your finds and the support of a
community of experts to help, getting into nature appreciation as a
hobby is now easier than ever. All you need is a phone.
2. Engage Your Children
Most
children are curious about nature. By taking part, you and your
children will learn more about our biodiversity while having fun at the
same time. Right from the comfort of your own home.
3. Conserve Nature
Your
sightings are important! Uploading your finding helps us to build the
biodiversity database allowing scientists to have a better understanding
about our wildlife and how to conserve them.
4. Discover a New Species
Believe it or not, there are still lots of animals still being discovered everyday! Who knows what you may find.
5. Have Fun
Snap,
post, and be amazed at what you have right at your doorstep. Make it a
challenge. Who can find the most animals. Who can guess the animal's
identity. A novel way to bond and have a good time.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Do I need any experience to participate?
No experience is required! This project is suitable for beginners with no or little experience in wildlife identification. iNaturalist's in-built AI and community of experts are available to identify your sightings. We welcome anyone and everyone to join us and participate in this project to discover and learn more about our local biodiversity.
2. Do I need a professional camera?
No, all you need is a phone camera! But of course, you are able to capture clearer and closer photographs with a professional camera which may help a more accurate identification of your sighting.
3. Are you encouraging me to go out of the house during this circuit breaker period?
Not at all! Please observe the circuit breaker measures and social distancing rules. You may not have noticed, but there is a lot of wildlife around us, sometimes even rare and uncommon ones, which you can come across in your homes or just outside your window. However, we do welcome submissions of any wildlife you come across when you are outdoors for your daily exercise.
As we move into the different phases of the circuit breaker, you may then record other sightings beyond your home in line with the restrictions.
4. Are photographs necessary?
No. You can submit sightings even without photographs. However, as no one will be able to verify the sighting, your submission will be remain as Casual grade. Submissions with photographs allows the community to verify your sighting allowing the record to be upgraded to Research Grade.
The project does allow the upload of sound files too. This is especially useful for animals like birds and frogs as it allows the community users to verify the animal even without a clear picture or any picture thereby allowing your sighting to be upgraded to Research Grade.
5. How does the project help conservation efforts?
That is an excellent question! And it deserves a detailed reply.
As more people
add their sightings into the platform, it will first be an important
resource to know presence (which species are present) and the
distribution of each species (or where each species is found) in Singapore. New and rediscovered species have also been recorded in this manner.
Over time, the data may then be analyzed to observe for trends for example if an animal tend to be seen during certain times of the year
compared to other times of the year this might indicate migration
season. Or if pictures during certain times of the year show more young compared to others, this might help ascertain breeding patterns and breeding season.
It could also be used to track the
movement of a particular species of animal which can lead to some useful inferences. For example, if a particular
animal is seen occupying an area previously not seen before, this may suggest they are adapting to a new environment and prompt researchers to investigate further. Pink-necked green pigeons for example are seen with increasing frequency in urban environments.
On a related point, the data also allows us to monitor the movement of invasive species, which are a real concern as they can lead to the out-competing and extinction of local populations.
One other use is to allow researchers and conservationists to determine important biodiversity areas as well as biodiversity hotspots to be recommended for conservation. This is especially important if there
are multiple species of concern (i.e. threatened species - those deemed
Vulnerable, Endangered & Critically Endangered) located in a single
unprotected area.
Another questions that this project may help to answer include understanding response of animals and/or plants on climate change.
These are just some of the questions that this project can help to answer. But most importantly, before the data can be used for research, we need your support and help by submitting your finds to help build the database.
More Questions
If you have any other questions, email:
- Ms. Sung Mei Yee: sungmeiyee@nss.org.sg
- Mr. Kerry Pereira: kerry@nss.org.sg
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Media Articles
1. Residents became wildlife observers during circuit breaker
2. Coronavirus in Singapore: The garden city learning to love the wild