iSPot

iSpot is a citizen observatory on biodiversity. The platform encompasses a network of over 68,000 global nature observers who have crowdsourced the identification of 30,000 taxa, through over 1,500,000 images of more than 750,000 observations of different species.

You can participate in iSPot by sending photos of any of the following groups:

  • Birds
  • Amphibians and Reptiles
  • Fish
  • Fungi and Lichens
  • Invertebrates
  • Mammals
  • Other organisms
  • Plants 


iSpot citizen science has been integrated into and contributes to The Open University teaching, including modules and courses, and facilitates informal and non-formal science learning through The Open University-BBC co-productions and the free learning resource.

iSpot data is also a research-grade tool for investigations on biodiversity, making an important contribution to national strategy and policy in associated areas. For example, iSpot was part of a partnership initiative, funded by Defra, to define a National Pollinators Monitoring Scheme. Additionally, the value of citizen science through tools like iSpot is explicitly mentioned in the 2011 Government White Paper on the environment in the section on ‘Reconnecting people and nature’ and the OU, through iSpot, is a Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) partner in conservation science contributing to the 2016 and upcoming State of Nature Reports.

Language

English

Geographical coverage

Local, National, European, International.

Coordination and funding

The platform was developed and managed by The Open University (UK) since 2009.

Related Events

Join for the National Biodiversity Conference!