Date: Sunday, 29th of September 2024
Time: 14:00 CEST
Duration: +/- 2 hours
Entrance: Free, including coffee/tea
Location: Varia

Following on from our recent tour through Charlois in which we uncovered the variety of ecology in the area using the app Obsidentify, we take a deeper dive into the history of such technologies. Considering the origins of taxonomy and citizen science, this workshop is a point of entry into a broader discussion looking towards new tech that is making it ever more simple and accessible to 'capture nature in a single click'. During the workshop we will explore digital conservation techniques and their impact, while considering how digital conservation techniques might shape the future landscape.

ObsIdentify is an app designed to help conserve nature by building a large database of information about the world. Users take pictures of nature they encounter, note where and when they found it, and upload them to the platform. This data, including location, time and species identification, contributes to conservation efforts. With climate change rapidly altering what we consider natural, ObsIdentify uses geolocation, images and collaborative science to attempt to keep pace with these changes. During the workshop, we will collectively look at examples in Charlois and analyse variations and glitches that might occur.

Everyone is welcome to join the workshop. It is useful to download the application before we start, however the introduction will also provide time to do so. We will have a few extra devices on location as well and encourage teaming up for the workshop, so don't worry if you don't have a smart phone!

Methods of digitalising the natural world are developing at a rapid pace as we strive to understand what the future of conservation might be. Modern methods of conservation are based upon centuries old techniques, modernised to fit modern-day technological constraints. During the workshop, we ask critical questions such as: who owns the data once the citizens do the work? What is the impact of recording and analysing the world around us in such technological terms? Together we try to imagine a more variable landscape where cross-species mutations occur, enhancing the ecological network rather than destroying it.