Monday, 27 June 2022 SRNA: New app for monitoring wildlife

Monitoring (checking the distribution, numbers, etc.) of wildlife populations is fundamental for successful conservation or management plans of wildlife populations, whether we are talking about hunting or strictly protected species. Regular and systematic monitoring of several species is also required by Slovenian and European legislation. Not only researchers, but also nature lovers today can make an exceptional contribution for a better monitoring and understanding of wildlife populations and their needs.

To conduct easier, better and more systematic monitoring of selected species of wild animals, we developed an application called SRNA in cooperation with the Hunting Association of Slovenia and three research institutions (University of Primorska, University of Ljubljana and Faculty of Environmental Protection of Velenje). The app allows those interested to record the observations of different animal species in nature.

The SRNA app can be downloaded via QR code or this link.

Those observations will contribute to a better understanding of wildlife, but you can also simply test their wildlife identification skills through a quiz (English version will be available soon). The collected data will not only improve our understanding of wildlife, but also contribute to better management and protection of wild animals (large mammals and selected bird species) in Slovenia. The broad distribution of smartphones and the development of dedicates apps makes it now possible for everyone to contribute and the role of “citizen scientists" is becoming extremely important. By connecting citizen science data with large datasets obtained from environmental observations, researchers can now address aspects previously unattainable with their strength alone.

You too can become a Citizen scientist!

By recording observations of both common and rare or endangered species, you can contribute to the understanding of their distribution and numbers, which will help researchers identify their densities and how the population is doing. Such knowledge will make it possible to develop conservation and management strategies enabling a harmonious coexistence of all species.

The app is available for both smartphone and computer and only asks for a one-time registration by email. Despite allowing for multiple data to be recorded, the app is user friendly and guides you from the beginning to the end of entering an observation by internal links and transparent/clear menus. Through the app, you will be able to get a graphical overview of your own entries and the overall information for the whole country. Additionally, you will be able to contact the researchers in the team with questions related to the project or their observation by writing to: stepchange@famnit.upr.si. 

Researchers will keep you informed about the results and the most active participants will be rewarded. We will also reward the individuals with the most entries.

We kindly invite all of you to download the app and start recoding your observations of wildlife whenever you encounter one, doesn’t matter if it is during a challenging hike or during a stroll in the countryside!