Citizen science on asphalt: cataloging birds and other critters is possible in Madrid

2022-07-23 06:40:23 By : Ms. Shiny Shiny

Catalog the biodiversity of environments such as the Ambroz or Soto Gutiérrez lagoons, take a census of the number of Argentine and Kramer parrots that swarm through the parks of Madrid, locate and report the appearance of the tiger mosquito, report the discovery of a new plant species, knowing the pollution of the capital according to the state of health of the lichens on the trees... are examples of citizen science, in this case in the field of environmentalism.The movement is providing an important volume of information and data to scientists and conservationists thanks to those residents who record what they observe in specific applications through their mobile phones.And the Community of Madrid is not an exception.On the planet as a whole, according to the Global Information Fund on Biodiversity, "more than 50% of the data already comes from citizen science, which acts as a complement to scientific work that allows us to better understand some relevant aspects for the conservation of biodiversity. biodiversity”.The available applications (eBIRD, OpenAerialMap, Flood City Sense, Sea Watchers, Mosquito Alert, Adopt a plant, Natusfera, PlantNet, Liquencity...) are the evolution of the old field notebooks where the characteristics of the species sighted, the date, time and your location.This work, carried out by very specific profiles of non-professional biodiversity lovers, has now become popular thanks to Big Data and new technologies.Any Madrilenian can go to the countryside, to a park or be on its terrace and report the species observed.Their eyes multiply the gaze of scientists, who have a legion of collaborators in citizen science that facilitates their work and increases the options to preserve the different ecosystems.This disinterested participation of non-specialized citizens has its origin in the 80s, specifically in bird watching.In the capital, during the past months of May and June, the conservation organization Seo BirdLife launched a citizen science project to determine the most exact number possible of Argentine and Kramer parrots.The objective was "to have new data and to know the distribution and population of the species".The excess population of these invasive birds is generating numerous problems in Madrid, for which the City Council approved in May 2021 a comprehensive plan to control the number of copies.“There are many citizen science actions carried out in the urban environment, although few last over time.For decades, for example, we have been monitoring common birds, which establishes the evolution of existing populations and is a perfect indicator of the state of biodiversity" of Madrid's cities, illustrates Juan Carlos del Moral, coordinator of Citizen Science of Seo BirdLife.Precisely, many towns in the Community of Madrid have been the great stars of the development of citizen science in recent years, which had its peak in the months of strict confinement due to the health crisis caused by covid, in the spring of 2020. Isolated in their houses, the people of Madrid used hours and hours of the day to share their sightings from windows, balconies and terraces.Thousands of data that have served the scientific community to better understand the biodiversity of the region.According to Del Moral, “the large urban centers —such as the belt that forms metropolitan Madrid together with the capital— have fauna and flora that are sometimes abundant and sometimes scarce”.This disparity is difficult to control because “these urban centers are large spaces and their various environments can only be covered by many people and in the very long term.That is why the citizen science activity is so important to learn about the evolution of biodiversity in our city”.José Luis Gallego, Honorary Forest Engineer from the Polytechnic University of Madrid, naturalist and environmental promoter, has just published 'Naturalists in slippers', edited by Libros Cúpula, a practical guide that teaches the closest nature."With this new book I seek to arouse the reader's curiosity towards everyday nature," he explains.“We must encourage wonder about biodiversity and that is what I have tried in this book.Our cities are full of interesting corners”.Each environment has a specific biodiversity, according to numerous factors, such as the weather, and with specific functions.A lion is striking to human eyes, but in the set of ecosystems on the planet it is one more element, with its functions in the life cycle of the territory.“A common bat in El Retiro can be just as or more interesting, from the point of view of biodiversity, than a lion in the Serengeti.In the case of Madrid, —Gallego details— I believe that El Retiro Park is one of the most magnificent groves in our country, where one can follow the pulse of the seasons and observe how natural phenomena occur in a direct way. , without too much luggage, just opening your eyes and contemplating magical corners full of invertebrates, birds, small mammals... and that can constitute a beautiful afternoon in the countryside”.However, not everything is squirrels, sparrows or hoopoes in Madrid's parks.When it comes to listing animals that can be found on the streets of the city, the list of the species that most bother or frighten man may win: cockroaches, pigeons, toads, bats, snakes, spiders, rats or geckos.“They are the outlaws of nature”, animals that human beings unjustly repudiate and that Gallego defends in his book.“The challenge is to find beauty where others see discomfort.Except for the totally respectable phobias, I want the reader to give those species a chance and fall under the spell of their biology, which they have.I would like everyone to be able to find beauty in the things in which I find it, because that is where respect for nature would come from, from everyday things that many people ignore and who believe they are a source of contagion and pandemics and nothing is further from reality”.Being a naturalist at home, in slippers and participating in citizen science does not require large investments.Use Gallego's book to have a useful guide and, above all, “to be equipped with our sensory equipment.Open your eyes and ears wide and discover the environment as if we were children who approach nature with curiosity”.Gallego recommends “using a field notebook, because it allows us to chronicle our experiences and it is very comforting to remember over the years that walk through El Retiro or through our own garden.That is the origin of citizen science, in those annotations made by amateur naturalists.The first thing that nature needs is people who want to recognize and admire it.And do not forget that all respect goes through knowledge.Catalog the biodiversity of environments such as the Ambroz or Soto Gutiérrez lagoons, census the number of Argentine and Kramer parrots that swarm through the parks of Madrid, locate and report the appearance of the tiger mosquito, report the discovery of a new plant species, knowing the pollution of the capital according to the state of health of the lichens on the trees... are examples of citizen science, in this case in the field of environmentalism.The movement is providing an important volume of information and data to scientists and conservationists thanks to those residents who record what they observe in specific applications through their mobile phones.And the Community of Madrid is not an exception.