The Everglades Wildlife Watch is a new Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) volunteer program and participatory science project based in South Florida, hosted on the Zooniverse platform.
Focused on improving our understanding of wildlife patterns in the FWC’s wildlife management area system, this project combines in-the-field volunteering with online participation to give us a region-wide idea of the species that call South Florida home.
Throughout the region’s 17 wildlife management/wildlife and environmental areas, volunteers are setting and maintaining trail cameras. As those cameras collect photos, the images are uploaded to our Everglades Wildlife Watch Zooniverse project, where anyone can jump online and classify photos.
Read: Florida Turkey Hunter Missing For Over 24 Hours Rescued By FWC K-9 Team
Just follow the link, create a free account and start identifying the wildlife in the photos from your own home. If you get one wrong, don’t sweat it. With consensus analysis, your identifications will be combined with others to give us the most accurate picture of wildlife activity in these areas. With your help, we will be able to sort through more photos than we ever could alone and gain a better understanding of how animals are using our WMAs.
Visit: Zooniverse.org/Projects/FWC/Everglades-Wildlife-Watch
Once photos are analyzed and the wildlife has been identified, the data is sent to our area biologists so they can better manage each WMA or WEA. The results will also be uploaded to our interactive Data Dashboard, where you can see what kind of wildlife has been spotted on our cameras around the region and learn more about each species.
The FWC oversees more than 6 million acres of public land established as WMAs. These lands are managed to protect fish and wildlife resources and provide wildlife-based recreation. Visit MyFWC.com/WMAs to learn more about Florida’s public lands or plan your next outdoor adventure with the WMA Recreation Finder.
Help support the Tampa Free Press by making any small donation by clicking here.
Android Users, Click To Download The Tampa Free Press App And Never Miss A Story. Follow Us On Facebook and Twitter. Sign up for our free newsletter.