We are investigating the question: What native wildlife is living in Launceston and the urban fringe?

The Tasmanian Division of the EIANZ has teamed up with the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery’s Natural Science department to conduct a Citizen Science urban wildlife project and we invite you to join us.
  
We have invited members of the public in the Launceston region to submit evidence of the wildlife living in their gardens on or their property using the following form.

We’ll then choose a selection of these properties for the installation of motion-sensor surveillance cameras to record evidence of the presence of animals, their behaviour and activities. The camera trapping technique allows us to collect information without interfering with the animals. 
 
"We get many reports of quolls, Tasmanian devils, bandicoots and wallabies living in suburbia and around the urban fringe," says Natural Sciences curator David Maynard. "This citizen scientist project will allow the community to help map the biodiversity that is living with us in the suburbs.”

"It's important that the community get involved now so that the results can be displayed during National Science Week in August. Participants will be invited to the Museum so that they can view the wildlife that is inhabiting their properties and to talk with wildlife experts about how best to protect their visitors. Tasmania is blessed with a wide range of unique species that people don't expect to live so close to suburbia — and the real aim of this project is to highlight the animals that come out at night when we're tucked up in bed."

The results of the project will be presented during National Science Week at Queen Victoria Museum from 13-23 August.

Get involved!

If you would like to be involved in the project - assessing evidence from the community, planning and conducting the surveys, post-production image analysis, data interpretation or the Science Week activities - get in touch with Kathryn Pugh, President of the Tasmanian Division. We’d love to get as many members involved as we can!