What can we do? How to drum up support for our area or society!

Question!

I have been wondering how we could drum-up support for the City Nature Challenge along the River, we have tried walks in the past, but it seems to me the challenge is essentially a solo-activity, and attendance on the walks has been nothing to write home about.
This year we thought perhaps we might be able to support through a kind of sub-project, "the most observations along the Liesbeek"? Or something like that? I have had a look but I cannot see whether/how this is possible?

Answer:

An excellent idea.

It is easy to do:
You have a project: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/liesbeek-biodiversity

So you could easily assess data with some filters: e.g.
Observers in City Nature Challenge 2019
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?d1=2019-04-13&d2=2019-04-30&place_id=any&project_id=liesbeek-biodiversity&verifiable=any&view=observers
just change the dates to see the 2022 CNC: e.g. (but no data yet - it wont go until we get going!!)
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?d1=2022-04-29&d2=2019-05-02&place_id=any&project_id=liesbeek-biodiversity&verifiable=any&view=observers

(note you can also do most species seen, by clicking on the species heading option)

Not only can you thus look at people’s contributions, but you can also get buy-in by asking people to vote for the best observation, by adding faves.
And then you could easily look at the most-faved observations.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?d1=2019-04-13&d2=2019-04-30&order_by=votes&page=&place_id=any&project_id=liesbeek-biodiversity&verifiable=any

And for all of these you can offer subcategories: e.g.

• Threatened species
  https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?d1=2019-04-13&d2=2019-04-30&order_by=votes&place_id=any&project_id=liesbeek-biodiversity&threatened&verifiable=any

• Alien species
  https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?d1=2019-04-13&d2=2019-04-30&introduced&order_by=votes&place_id=any&project_id=liesbeek-biodiversity&verifiable=any

• Wild species
  https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?captive=false&d1=2019-04-13&d2=2019-04-30&order_by=votes&place_id=any&project_id=liesbeek-biodiversity&verifiable=any

• Plants
  https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?d1=2019-04-13&d2=2019-04-30&order_by=votes&place_id=any&project_id=liesbeek-biodiversity&verifiable=any&iconic_taxa=Plantae

• Birds
  https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?d1=2019-04-13&d2=2019-04-30&order_by=votes&place_id=any&project_id=liesbeek-biodiversity&verifiable=any&iconic_taxa=Aves

And of course, why go it alone? Challenge other wetlands to better the Liesbeek, eg.
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/wetlands-of-cape-town

For instance challenge Disa River and Elsieskraal River and Diep River to better you in a challenge (e.g. for 2019), and the winner has to invite the other groups for a tour of their river and a hack of aliens or clean-up.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?d1=2019-04-13&d2=2019-04-30&project_id=disa-river&verifiable=any&place_id=any
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?d1=2019-04-13&d2=2019-04-30&project_id=biodiversity-of-the-elsieskraal-river&verifiable=any&place_id=any
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?d1=2019-04-13&d2=2019-04-30&place_id=any&project_id=rietvlei-nature-reserve-2b3e8e64-57f0-47e8-a8bf-e1a764394633&subview=map&verifiable=any
If there is enough interest (more than 5 groups), why not create a special CNC Challenge Project?

I hope that this helps answer your question a little.
So yes: please organize and event, but just as importantly, encourage people to visit the area on their own.

And if you have any more questions, please ask below

Posted on April 7, 2022 03:31 PM by tonyrebelo