BioCollect App for Koala Mapping
BioCollect is a free citizen science app designed for easy collection and sharing of data for conservation projects.
The app has been adopted by Reef Catchments’ Sarina Koala Habitat Restoration Project to collect local koala data using the Koala Mapping Mackay, Whitsunday & Central Queensland project.
This Koala Mapping project was developed by Padaminka Nature Refuge Koala Rescue & Care in Walkerston and has been collecting local Koala data since 2013. You can add your observations of Koalas in the local area to this project by:
- Search “Koala Mapping’ on the app
- Select “Data resource: Koala Mapping Mackay & Whitsundays Areas”
- Add in the relevant sighting information and submit.
The project relies on landholders and the wider community to record any and all koalas sightings, helping to collate accurate region-specific data in real-time.
How it works
The Biocollect app allows you to record data in the field. It uses your device features such as the camera, clock, and GPS to improve usability and data recording efficiency.
The information collected in the BioCollect app has many uses, including:
- More accurate data for better recommendations to improve habitat and survival strategies
- Identifies where to return koalas after successful rescue and rehabilitation
- Pinpoints locations of koala colonies
- Monitors the health of populations and success of conservation programs
What type of information is needed?
- The date and time of koala sighting
- Location of koala– on the ground, in a tree?
- Condition of the koala – did it seem healthy, sick, injured, ‘lost’?
- The size of the koala
- If there were any young with the adult koala
Download the BioCollect app and record your Koala Sighting
Getting started only takes a couple of minutes. Click the App Store or Google Play image to get instructions about how to download, set up and start using the app.
