We are in Lockdown and confined to our homes.
Why not participate in our Lockdown projects:
see https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/lockdown-southern-africa-2020 for details.
Some idea here: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/lockdown-cape-town/journal
Attract birds to your garden
Attract moths
Go on night hunts
Find the mini-5 in your garden.
See if you can use the iNaturalist app to help with your conservation and other badges. Discuss the ideas with your troop scouter.
WESTERN CAPE REGION
City Nature Challenge - Cape Town & Garden Route
What is it?
Cape Town & Garden Route are participating in the 2020 City Nature Challenge which runs from 24-27 April 2020.
Cubs, Scouts and Scouters are invited to participate and help put their cities on the Biodiversity Map. The challenge is somewhat different this year in that it will be conducted in the home and garden if you have one.
Why?
It is fun. We are one of the most biodiverse cities on earth. We need to put Cape Town and Garden Route on the map and make people worldwide aware of our importance. Western Cape Scouts are part of
this!
What does the Cub, Scout, Scouter need?
A smartphone with camera and GPS turned on.
A Wi-Fi connection at home (or data for phone - but this can be expensive).
To install the iNaturalist app and sign up.
To join the “Scouts South Africa” project on iNaturalist.
Supervision
Parents are welcome to supervise Cubs and Scouts who do not have their own smartphone.
Ideally siblings and parents should all have their own login username. However, less optimally, you may also use one username in the family.
How to install App
Go to Play Store (Android) or App Store (iPhone) and download and install the iNaturalist app.
Create a username and password. Click on the hamburger icon (the three horizontal lines) and then Sign Up.
Join the Scouts South Africa project in the iNaturalist App. Click on the hamburger icon, Projects, magnifying glass, search for Scouts South Africa, click on it and then click on Join.
Practice submitting an observation. Click on the + button at bottom right of screen. Click on Add to Projects and add “Scouts South Africa” to each observation.
How to submit an Observation
The City Nature Challenge runs from 24-27 April 2020.
During those days and nights use the app to record as many plants, animals and fungi that you find in your home and garden.
There are no limits to the number of observations. You can submit hundreds.
Rules
No selfies, people and pets.
Any animal, plant or fungus growing in the garden. If you don’t have a garden, then indoors as well. Look inside and underneath pot plants for woodlice, snails, earthworms, etc., and on the plants for caterpillars, aphids, scale and others that enjoy your plants. Photograph fleas and ticks on your pets.
Take several pictures of any animal/plant to show different important features.
Zoom in for small things - it must fill the screen and not be a dot on the picture.
Only one species per observation. Start another observation for any other species.
Tips
Do not worry about identifications (teams will do that later).
Switch on your GPS at least 2 minutes before you start to get accurate localities.
Switch off autocomplete names and automatic upload to save data. Synchronize when you get to a Wi-Fi hotspot.
What is in it for me?
Any Cub or Scout who submits observations from 24-27 April 2020 and ensures the Scouts South Africa project is joined for 10 or more observations, is eligible to wear the green City Nature Challenge badge pictured here
This will help put Scouts SA Western Cape on the map. You will be contributing to worthwhile conservation project with thousands of other participants around the world.
You will earn points for the Tonkin Trophy for your Group.
More details
City Nature Challenge 2020: http://citynaturechallenge.org/
Cape Town City Nature Challenge: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2020-cape-town.
Scouts South Africa project. https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/scouts-south-africa
Email @nigelforshaw if you have any questions.
April 2020
Cubs, Scouts and Scouters who have made 10 or more observations and who would like to claim the City Nature Challenge badge should please copy and paste the below URL into a web browser and ensure 10 or more observations were indeed submitted correctly.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?d1=2022-04-28&d2=2022-05-02&place_id=52355&project_id=scouts-south-africa&subview=table&user_id=xxx&verifiable=any where you must replace xxx with your username.
Could Pack Scouters and Troop Scouters please find out which Cubs and Scouts in their Group participated and get their usernames and check whether they made 10 or more observations.
If you have more than 10 observations and would like the badge, please email nigel.forshaw@scouts.org.za to this effect and let me know what your username and Group are and whether you are a Cub, Scout or Scouter.
If you think you have more then 10 observations and yet the query reflects that you don’t have 10 or more then please check that all observations:
• Were assigned to the “Scouts South Africa” Project.
• Have the locality (latitude and longitude) correctly recorded so it is known if the observation was in Cape Town or the Garden Route.
• Have the date observed in the 28 April to 02 May 2022 window.
• Have Geoprivacy set to "Open" or "Obscured" (not "Private").
The final day by which you can make your badge claim is midnight 9 May 2022.
