Introducing what is and how to use iNaturalist on national TV
7 AM and I am meeting Rita and Miguel, a journalist an her cameraman for a short piece on iNaturalist.
I am taking out my smartphone to show how to navigate through the app in the process of getting a record outdoors. And, obviously, my binoculars. just because bird post-breeding migration is starting and I am at Quinta do Lago, a well known birding location.
For some reason I feel excited.
I have been interviewed on how and why I got involved with iNaturalist before.
Diana Marques interviewed several people on an exploratory study on citizen science engagement for her Master degree from the Minho University, and I was included. (But I haven't read any results).
Later on, I participated on a conversation on citizen science at the Centro de Ciência Viva do Algarve, chatting with Joana Andrade (from SPEA, the Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds), Cristina Veiga-Pires (from CCVFaro - a science museum) and other folks about general aspects of citizen science, and eBird and iNaturalist in particular.
But now this was reaching a wider audience, and not feeling very comfortable with addressing cameras and journalists, I thought it was a nice way to give back to this amazing project and its community.
This team is from Biosfera, a long-running tv show from the public network, well-known for doing a good job on bringing many issues related with the environment and biodiversity up to the general public.
We walked along and try to show some of the biodiversity of the Ria Formosa Natural Park, some of the natural elements of it we could still find at this hot time of the year. Later on, I answered some questions.
I hope the final result helps bring iNaturalist to more people, and more people more into nature literacy.
I will update this bulletin with a link to the show itself, which will air in late September or early October.
