Naturedigger is bringing their experience as environmental based app developers to the Monarch Joint Venture partnership. As part of the MJV, Naturedigger will work to promote and spotlight MJV partners and assist them in achieving their individual conservation goals by giving them exposure to the public through a different medium and encouraging participation in their programs. We are pleased to welcome Naturedigger to the growing network of MJV partners.
“Naturedigger has been collaborating with several MJV partners on the Monarch SOS app since late 2014. Therefore, becoming a partner ourselves of this important partnership and critical movement, is very exciting,” said Tara Johnson, owner of Naturedigger. “We conceived of the Monarch SOS app when we began noticing a dramatic decline in the monarch population during summer and fall fieldwork. A species that was once ubiquitous and always present in the field had nearly disappeared in a few short years. As a nature education and conservation app developer, we were happy to offer MJV partners, monarch and milkweed citizen science reporting tailored specifically to their individual programs. We anticipate Monarch SOS will deliver accurate data to these veteran researchers during a critical time in monarch conservation, while also involving the public in this historic recovery effort.”
Naturedigger is teaming their environmental science background with app development to create the Monarch SOS citizen science reporting app. This is a collaborative project between monarch citizen science programs working to gather invaluable information about monarchs and their habitats. While currently in the educational phase, the Monarch SOS app will soon provide a means for citizen scientists to record project data through the app, and eventually to report it directly to the participating programs. Monarch SOS was developed to accomplish four primary goals: 1) Educate the public about monarchs and milkweed, 2) Reach out to the public and encourage them to get involved in citizen science opportunities, 3) Give citizen scientists the opportunity to participate in data collection surrounding monarchs and their habitats, and 4) Encourage users of the app to participate in monarch and other pollinator habitat restoration projects at home or in their communities.
“Working with the team of monarch citizen science programs, along with Naturedigger, has been a rewarding experience and I’m excited about the development of this new tool that will continue to drive and strengthen monarch conservation. The MJV is thrilled to play a role in this effort and to continue working with Naturedigger in the development and maintenance of the Monarch SOS app” says MJV coordinator, Wendy Caldwell.
To learn more about the Monarch SOS project, read this project description.
The Monarch Joint Venture is a national partnership of federal and state agencies, non-governmental organizations, and academic programs working together to conserve the monarch butterfly migration. The content in this article does not necessarily reflect the positions of all Monarch Joint Venture partners.