WHAT IS NATURELYNX?

NatureLynx is a free citizen science application created and supported by the not-for-profit Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute (ABMI) with the goal of fostering an Alberta biodiversity network.

NatureLynx is about combining the ABMI’s monitoring expertise with the collective energy of Albertans, and leveraging this partnership to build a vibrant biodiversity network in our province. NatureLynx is a way for nature enthusiasts to share, connect, and learn, but also a way to contribute to the ever-growing understanding of Alberta’s natural heritage, and its relationship with human activities.

The Wetland Centre at Evergreen Park
NATURELYNX GROUP GOALS

·      Promote, engage and encourage people to discover the diversity of fauna, flora and wetlands on the Wetland Centre grounds at Evergreen Park by capturing their sightings through the NatureLynx app.

·      Encourage the public to become citizen scientists by using the NatureLynx app to document vegetation, wildlife and landscape-level changes over time at the Wetland Centre.

·      Create opportunities to learn more about boreal wetlands and wildlife, visit our interpretive signs and trail, and explore our demonstration centre of active projects at the Wetland Centre.

·      NatureLynx participants will be a part of a virtual community of nature enthusiasts interested in boreal ecosystems – all skill levels are welcome!

BENEFITS OF THE APP

Ever wonder how scientists know that a mammal’s habitat range is expanding or contracting, or that the sighting of a hawfinch in the Yukon was the first on record? It is because of people like you who want to document what you see and share it with a community, that it is possible for your valuable contributions to play a part in establishing a baseline understanding of where species are present and how that changes over time. At the Wetland Centre at Evergreen Park, we have a diversity of boreal wetlands, plants and animals for you to capture that naturalist curiosity as you also help us document changes over time.

Citizen science mobile apps are increasingly popular, and you may already be familiar with websites or apps such as eBird or iNaturalist that are widely used to collect biodiversity observations. We encourage you to continue using these tools, but to also try out the NatureLynx mobile app the next time you visit the Wetland Centre. We have chosen to use NatureLynx as the primary tool for collecting and submitting biodiversity observations for the Wetland Centre project because it supports the ABMI's Alberta-wide data collection efforts and because of the opportunities to collaborate with the ABMI to deliver local events and initiatives. Downloading and using NatureLynx on your mobile device will give you access to the Wetland Centre at Evergreen park group and we are looking forward to your contributions!

GETTING TO THE WETLAND CENTRE

If you’ve read this far, sounds like the next question you may have is “how do I participate so that I can take pictures of sightings at the Wetland Centre at Evergreen Park?" We welcome all submissions of either wildlife or plant species at the Wetland Centre, but first here’s how to get to our Interpretive Trail.

  1. Drive to the Evergreen Learning and Innovation Centre located in Grande Prairie County, AB

  2. At the entrance to the Evergreen Learning and Innovation centre there will be a map showing you where the trail system on the grounds are located

  3. Enjoy, be safe, and we hope you’ll consider coming back!

HOW TO SUBMIT AN IMAGE

To submit an image, remember you don’t need to be an expert or be 100% sure of what you are looking at. It is the job of the experts at ABMI’s NatureLynx to identify what you have submitted. Be curious, take pictures, and submit your sightings on the app!

For step-by-step instructions on how to submit a sighting, the full document is available here. If you’re keen and want to learn even more about the NatureLynx app, that document is available here! Whether you’re an Android or Apple user, NatureLynx will work on your mobile device.

*when submitting an image, don’t forget to assign sighting to the Wetland Centre at Evergreen Park Group

A summary of the sightings recorded on our naturelynx group in 2021