Citizen science: the Cambewarra Range Nature Reserve project

Biological scientists with the University of Wollongong conducting surveys over Cambewarra Range Nature Reserve and publishing data on Wikidata and contributing to the expansion of relevant Wikipedia articles.

Habitat

Cambewarra mountain reserve has mixed habitats but is dominated by coastal hinterland subtropical warm temperate rainforest comprising mainly of coachwood which occurs in protected slopes and gullies. The red rocks and Black Ash segment of the reserve is also covered in parts by the lowland dry shrub forest, northern coast and hinterland moist heath shrubland. The Red Rocks Plateau in small areas include Northern Coastal Hinterland Heath Shrub Dry Forest and a survey done in the area (Mills, 1992) found seven forest communities categorized as: coachwood rainforest, open heathland, brown barrel E. fastigata/Sydney blue gum tall open forest, silvertop ash woodland, heathland sedgeland, Sydney peppermint open forest and open woodland-heathland. The Berry Mountain section comprises of three types of rainforest: mixed subtropical/warm temperate rainforest, warm temperate rainforest and dry rainforest. The reserve takes pride in providing suitable habitat for a large number of threatened animal species and regionally rare plant species.

Project leads

1. Katarina Mikac - lead scientist
2. David Blackall - client
3. Leigh Blackall - consultant

Timeline

• November 2016: Publish project findings
• August - October 2016: Promote work through various communities and monitor further contributions to Wikidata and Wikipedia
• July 2016: Evaluate student contributions and early responses from Wikidata and Wikipedia community
• June 2016: Students contribute to Wikidata and Wikipedia
• May 2016: Investigate Wikidata and Wikipedia project spaces and start a Wikiversity page for the research project
• April 2016: Katerina contacts Leigh for advice on student contribution to Wikipedia. Wikipedia page for Cambewarra Nature Reserve is created.
• Date range TBA: Student researchers collect ave collate survey data

Publications

• Wikidata sets forthcoming
• w:Cambewarra Range Nature Reserve project
• Drafting report in Google docs (link forthcoming)