https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/lockdown-southern-africa-2020
If you love being outdoors, then being cooped up might be hard for you. Or, if you were just always at work and now runout of DIY supplies at home – then this is for you. Even more so if you are competitive and enjoy stats crunching!
To cater for Lockdown heeby-jeebies in southern Africa an umbrella Lockdown Project was set up on iNaturalist. All observations made during the prescribed lockdown period in southern Africa are pulled into these projects. Included in the parent umbrella are separate sub-projects for the cities registered for City Nature Challenge.
Despite low numbers of observers, the Garden Route is doing pretty well in the observations and species stakes. https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/garden-route-south-africa-lockdown.
None of us know what is in store for us in the months ahead. Here is an opportunity to shift focus, reconnect and discover what is right under our noses. For example, a call was made to Capetonians to find chameleons and moths in the city – the results are a delight! So, take part and contribute or follow what the naturalists in southern Africa are sharing. For the Lockdown Projects captive and cultivated organism count too.
This is also an ideal platform for being creative in what to research and who to interact with. A recce of iNaturalist.org can spark ideas and dreams during lockdown. For many students and learners it is time to be back at the books, in online mode though. No doubt iNaturalist can play an enabling role to enrich but most certainly caters for cerebral escapism too!
Do take care! Greentings – Sandra