NatureMapr integrates with Wildlife Insights for NSW based camera trap data

NatureMapr is close to releasing an important new feature which we are really excited about.

This feature will change the dynamics of how the platform operates slightly and will ultimately expand on the impact we have on private land conservation.

Thanks to funding from the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust - integration with popular AI camera trap analysis platform, Wildlife Insights will go live shortly.

This integration allows camera trap images that have been analysed and shortlisted using Wildlife Insights to be imported into NatureMapr as sightings.

This means that landholders who have collected images using NSW BCT supplied camera traps, will be able to:

• see their camera trap records in NatureMapr; AND
• have these records verified by experts; AND
• have these records feed to the NSW BioNet database as high quality, expert verified records

Initially, this capability will only be available to NSW BCT agreement holders, but longer term, we plan to roll this this capability out to more users in NSW and the ACT.

One of the key principles in how we are developing NatureMapr, is that when we receive investment backing from an Australian government partner, that funding is utilised to develop new capability that benefits ALL government partners.

I.e. each investment is used to help NatureMapr deliver greater economies of scale for all partner and investor agencies.

What does this mean for moderators?

Moderators, you may notice an increase in sightings hitting your inbox.

Particularly sightings from camera trap devices (i.e. images that appear to be taken at night from a fixed camera).

But camera traps generate millions of images

It is important to note that these have been shortlisted prior to NatureMapr from within the Wildlife Insights platform.

This is actually the main reason for using Wildlife Insights in the first place because it is specialist software designed specifically for filtering and analysing large numbers of camera trap images.

Images of humans and/or vehicles should not make it to NatureMapr.

We are only importing the best, "cream of the crop" images that have been selected by NSW BCT ecologists to be imported into NatureMapr.

What if I can't keep up with the workload?

As a moderator, if you feel you are receiving too many sightings to review and verify, please let us know, as this is important feedback for us.

Your level of involvement as an expert moderator should always be only up to a level that you enjoy and are comfortable with.

As soon as it stops being fun, it's time to get up and go for a walk! It's perfectly OK for people to wait a while for their sightings to be verified.

While we value and respect your time and expertise as moderators enormously we value your wellbeing even more.

If you are ever feeling a bit overwhelmed by "moderator duties" or too many email notifications, please let us know so we can help further spread the load or work out a way to help support you.

What does the information flow look like?

Once these records hit NatureMapr, Carbon AI will have a first crack at them.

Good old Carbon AI (hopefully saving our legendary moderators some time on the more easily identifiable species).

But as always, we don't allow Carbon AI to go rogue and verify sightings on its own.

Expert human review is still required for each and every record (expert human moderators are always the critical step in the process).

Once records reach verified status, they become eligible for feeding to the NSW BioNet database (which is a win for conservation as this trusted database is also where decision makers tend to hang out).

Thanks for your patience everybody while we try to bed this new capabilty into the platform as smoothly as possible.