Larissa Braz Sousa is a Citizen Science Researcher at the University of Sydney and Associate Lecturer in Animal Biology at La Trobe University.

She leads the Learning by Doing research project, exploring citizen science in schools.

Her recent research focused on a citizen science mosquito project, called Mozzie Monitors.

Larissa is a passionate science communicator, co-founder of the Great Southern BioBlitz and serves on the management committee for the Australian Citizen Science Association.

Mosquito photo credit

https://www.inaturalist.org/people/johntann99

More Information

https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/mozzie-monitors-australia

https://efa.unisa.edu.au/programs/mozzie-monitors-for-citizen-science/

https://lbdscience.com/mozzie-monitors/?frame-nonce=340bab7b00

https://www.youtube.com/@learningbydoing650

https://www.publish.csiro.au/book/6391/

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We are always looking for more guests to tell us about interesting citizen science projects, research and events.

You can email us at: [email protected]

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The curlew is a bird that makes you stop. With its long, downward-curving bill and muted earth-toned feathers, it blends quietly into the background—until it sings. Then, its haunting, bubbling call rises like an echo from the land itself, and for a moment, everything else falls away. That sound captured Mary Colwell and never let her go.

In the UK, the Eurasian curlew graces our coastal edges in winter before returning inland in spring and summer to breed. In Australia, the Far Eastern curlew follows a staggering migratory route from the southern hemisphere to northern China. These birds connect continents with invisible threads across the skies. 

But behind this grace lies a crisis. The Eurasian curlew is in serious trouble, having declined by 60% in just 25 years. In the UK, which hosts a quarter of the global population, this is a devastating figure. Curlews nest on the ground, often in active farmland, leaving them exposed to everything from tractors and silage cutters to predators like foxes and crows. Their vulnerability is compounded by human development, leaving little space for these creatures to thrive.

More Information

https://www.curlewaction.org/

https://open.spotify.com/show/0fk43VAUrwG9ukf31DHO2Q?si=46d5afb0381d484f

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It really helps us to reach more citizen scientists, like you.

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We are always looking for more guests to tell us about interesting citizen science projects, research and events.

You can email us at: [email protected]

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Mitchell Harley is a coastal researcher and the creator of CoastSnap, an innovative Aussie idea to monitor changes and save the coastline 

Citizen scientists taking photographs using dedicated tripod cradles at beaches all across the world. 

More Information

https://www.coastsnap.com/

Contact the Show

We are always looking for more guests to tell us about interesting citizen science projects, research and events.

You can email us at: [email protected]

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The pace of change in citizen science is exhilarating, and I’ve had the privilege of being at its forefront through my roles in the Australian Citizen Science Association and the Great Southern BioBlitz. With our upcoming conference, CitSciOz25, just around the corner, there’s a renewed sense of purpose and momentum in our work.

Since the last major conference in November 2023, we’ve expanded our outreach with initiatives like citizen science corners for libraries and collaborations with groups monitoring the Great Barrier Reef. Internationally, we’ve contributed to the United Nations’ World Environment Situation Room and are preparing for potential participation in the UN Environmental Program’s next conference in Nairobi

More Information

https://citizenscience.org.au/

https://questagame.com/

https://www.frogid.net.au/

https://earthwatch.org/

https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/

https://observer.globe.gov/

https://litterintelligence.org/

https://openlittermap.com/

https://www.snapsendsolve.com/

https://scistarter.org/loss-of-the-night

https://citizenscience.org.au/citscioz25/

https://www.greatsouthernbioblitz.org/

https://wesr.unep.org/article/citizen-science

https://www.anecdata.org/projects/view/588/about

https://map.opensourcesoundscapes.org/view-area

https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/2730-marine-metre-squared

https://www.cooloolacoastcare.org.au/projects/bioblitz/past-bioblitzes/bioblitz2024

Contact the Show

We are always looking for more guests to tell us about interesting citizen science projects, research and events.

You can email us at: [email protected]

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Pelicans are not endangered, and that is precisely the challenge. Because they appear abundant, little research or funding is directed toward them. Yet on a local level, these birds suffer greatly—especially from discarded fishing gear. Volunteers and rescuers repeatedly encounter the same injuries: hooks embedded in beaks and fishing lines wrapped tightly around legs. Despite this, no national data currently exists to quantify the scale of the problem.

Pelicount represents an opportunity to change that. Participants are provided with everything they need, from a code of conduct to clear instructions on how to distinguish adult pelicans from juveniles. People are encouraged to observe waterways, boat ramps, and anywhere pelicans tend to gather. Photos are welcomed and particularly helpful when identification is uncertain.

For Olly Pitt, this is citizen science in its purest form. No academic background is required—just a willingness to observe and record. Every data point contributes to a broader picture that could help shape local policies or inspire more focused conservation efforts. While the exact applications of the data are still unfolding, she envisions maps, reports, and open access findings that empower communities to protect the wildlife around them.

More Information

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61567242080891

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It really helps us to reach more citizen scientists, like you.

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We are always looking for more guests to tell us about interesting citizen science projects, research and events.

You can email us at: [email protected]

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Beneath the familiar rhythm of Australian surf lies a hidden truth: sharks are still being killed in government-sanctioned culling programs, largely out of public sight and mind. This podcast is not just a conversation, it's a collective story of awakening, resistance, and resolve.

Protecting sharks, comes at a cost. Time, energy, finances, emotional weight. Yet this is not optional, it's a responsibility that we all share. There is no single organisation driving the movement to protect sharks. Instead, it resembles a living network: divers, scientists, councils, filmmakers, researchers, and everyday citizens.

The science is clear. Shark nets do not protect swimmers. They are not barriers, but short sections of gill net, often suspended mid-water. At Bondi Beach for example, the shark net spans just 150 metres—a token gesture along a kilometre of coastline. Drum lines fare no better, indiscriminately killing sharks while also ensnaring dolphins, turtles, rays, and even whales. Worse still, these systems can increase risk. A dead animal caught in a net becomes a beacon, drawing scavengers and predators closer to shore.

The greatest danger, however, is the illusion of safety. Most Australians don’t even know these programs exist, yet they trust them implicitly.

More Information

https://www.envoy.foundation/projects/envoy-shark-cull

https://spotashark.com/

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It really helps us to reach more citizen scientists, like you.

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We are always looking for more guests to tell us about interesting citizen science projects, research and events.

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Spot A Shark remains a volunteer-powered initiative. Sarah personally covers many of the project’s expenses, alongside a small group of dedicated collaborators. The project was originally launched in 2006 with grants from Valerie and Ron Taylor and support from organisations including PADI. It uses technology originally developed by NASA to map stars, now adapted to identify individual greynurse sharks based on their unique spot patterns. These markings, along with scars, injuries, and fin shapes, form the foundation of shark identification.

The growing dataset tells compelling stories. One shark, Kim, has travelled more than 1,500 kilometres between Montague Island and Rainbow Beach. Others, such as Marcus Aurelius, reappear year after year in familiar waters. Bushrangers Bay has become a particularly well-documented site, with approximately 120 individual sharks recorded there since 2018.

Many of the sharks show clear signs of human impact. Fishing hooks, lines, and entanglement injuries are common. While some wounds heal—sometimes remarkably well—others are permanent or fatal. Legal and safety constraints often prevent intervention, and rescue attempts can sometimes cause additional harm. Even so, Sarah remains hopeful for changes such as biodegradable fishing hooks and more responsible fishing practices.

More Information

https://spotashark.com/

If you enjoy this podcast, please like and subscribe to our show wherever you get your podcasts.

Leave us a comment and share this show with your friends.

It really helps us to reach more citizen scientists, like you.

Contact the Show

We are always looking for more guests to tell us about interesting citizen science projects, research and events.

You can email us at: [email protected]

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Dr. Úna Fitzpatrick is the chief scientific officer at the National Biodiversity Data Centre of Ireland.

She is the co-founder of the All Ireland Pollinator Plan, which is a conservation initiative to protect native pollinators across Ireland.

In this episode Dani and Úna discuss the challenges of protecting habitats for native bees and how local initiatives, like the Tidy Towns competition, can help to build public support for helping native bees in Ireland.

More information

https://pollinators.ie/

https://biodiversityireland.ie/

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Dr. Iain Kerr is a technology enthusiast with a love for innovation.

Together with his team of whale trackers, he has forged the way and inspired many whale researchers by flying drones through whale spouts, dropping electronic tags on whales from drones and developing new ways to disentangle whales.

More Information

https://whale.org/

https://www.facebook.com/oceanalliance/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJIHb0hi1xM

https://www.instagram.com/snotbot/

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Those of you who have seen the documentary Follow The Rain, will be familiar with the Zombie Hunter, Donovan Teal.

Donovan has since collected holotypes for sixteen new fungi species, and worked with scientists to describe them.

He is a prolific photographer and champion of the little things :)

More Information

https://earthlingcards.com/

https://bsky.app/profile/earthlingcards.bsky.social

https://www.planetfungi.movie/

Contact the Show

We are always looking for more guests to tell us about interesting citizen science projects, research and events.

You can email us at: [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.