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#citizenscience

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Continued thread

Coincidentally, on Tuesday night I had the good fortune to meet Joseph Knight. Joseph was down visiting Christchurch for the first time. He is a 17-year old from Auckland who is already a legendary and prolific observer and identifier on #iNaturalist. Joseph has a growing special interest in the cryptic insects eating native NZ plants, and he’s quickly becoming NZ’s mealy bug expert, among other things.

When I was talking to the Banks Peninsula community last night about iNaturalist, I took the time to celebrate the efforts of all the experts that volunteer their time to identify everyone’s uploaded photos and sounds. I hadn’t realised until that moment that Joseph is in the top 20 identifiers for Banks Peninsula observations, as is Saryu, another skilled Auckland teenager (iNat user name invertebratist).

I love how the new generation of naturalists are engaged with iNaturalist and are using it to both to grow their skills and contribute to the community.

inaturalist.nz/people/joknight

iNaturalist NZjoknight_nz's ProfileHi all, I'm a 17 year old keen naturalist and wildlife photographer. A fellow Kiwi based in Mangawhai, Northland. I love exploring the great outdoors with any chance I get all over New Zealand in a wide range of habitats and ecosystems. I try to record all the species I see along the way. I'm very interested in all New Zealand wildlife and conservation. I specialize in botany including taxonomy of vascular plants, researching plant ecosystems and habitats and the relationships plants have with the whole ecosystem. Most of my knowledge is mostly on Northland and Auckland vascular plants but I have a decent knowledge of plants and wildlife throughout NZ. Other major interests include Entomology, Birding, plant specific arthropods like Leaf Mining insects and Gall Mites, Aphids, Scales and Psyllids. Also plant diseases like Rust Fungi and Powdery Mildews, Marine life, and a general interest in all other wildlife. Although I have always loved and enjoyed exploring nature, my interest in learning New Zealand wildlife started about 6 years ago around the end of 2019. I would spend many hours a week reading books in Natural history and Botany. Then I discovered the NZPCN website. I would spend much of my spare time searching through species factsheets and teaching myself everything I could about New Zealand's plants. At 11 I was reading field guides to New Zealand native trees rather than chapter books. Since I started using iNaturalist in 2023 I have been learning so much more and my interests have broadened to include many other classes of living things. A big thanks to all the amazing iNatters who’ve helped me learn so much by identifying my observations and giving plentiful advice, I wouldn't have learned so much without you! I am currently in year 12. I hope to study something in the lines of Botany, Ecology or Natural Sciences once I get to University. I am homeschooled which conveniently gives me a lot of spare time for iNatting and learning about New Zealand’s wildlife! I am also involved in some volunteer and part-time paid predator and weed control work in a local conservation block targeting stoats, weasels, rats, possums, feral pigs, and cats and many weeds. Since work began, a significant increase in wildlife has been observed, large Puriri trees that were sick from constant possum browse are now coming back with lush growth. Seed and seedling survival rates have gone up as there are much lower numbers of rats eating the seeds. Bird populations are increasing including Bellbirds that likely flew over from Hen island and are now living here year round. I am currently one of Co-opted council member of NZPCN. I have a YouTube channel where I upload some videos about stuff I see while out iNatting and exploring nature, conservation, botany, entomology, birding and more. https://www.youtube.com/@JoKnight-NZ_Conservation **My Top Finds:** Discovered the third known population of this critically endangered fern on the mainland of New Zealand https://inaturalist.nz/observations/250613858 Found an isopod that was last seen about 170 years ago. https://inaturalist.nz/observations/259804921 New Population of the Native Oxtongue (Picris burbidgeae) https://inaturalist.nz/observations/250646861 More to be added soon… **My iNat firsts (First iNaturalist observation of a species worldwide):** https://inaturalist.nz/observations/222396717 https://inaturalist.nz/observations/225049161 https://inaturalist.nz/observations/238912580 https://inaturalist.nz/observations/254695341 https://inaturalist.nz/observations/259740585 https://inaturalist.nz/observations/259804921 https://inaturalist.nz/observations/281202478 https://inaturalist.nz/observations/284763665 https://inaturalist.nz/observations/285216632 **My iNatNZ Achievements:** Most observations on iNaturalistNZ (2024) Most species on iNaturalistNZ (2024) Record for most species in a year: 2812 species (previous record: 2383) Record for most observations in a year: 18,700 (previous: 11,652) Record for most species in a month: 1469 (previous: 1084) Currently 5th place for total observations and also 5th for total species in New Zealand. **Trips from 2024:** Tangihua range 26-28 October Results: Species Found Pinnacles track coromandel 7-10 December Results: Species Found Southland 15-22 December Results: Species Found **Top Species I Hope To Find 2025:** Birds: - Fairy tern (Sternula nereis davisae) - Australasian Bittern (Botaurus poiciloptilus) Found! https://inaturalist.nz/observations/261701067 (15/2/2025) - North Island Brown Kiwi (Apteryx mantelli) Found! https://inaturalist.nz/observations/270074701 (31/3/2025) - Kea (Nestor notabilis) - Brown (Anas chlorotis) Teal Found! https://inaturalist.nz/observations/273573860 (24/4/2025) - Wrybill (Anarhynchus frontalis) Arthropods, gastropods and other 'buggy stuff': - Hook-tip Fern Looper (Sarisa muriferata) Saw one but it flew out of sight before I got a photo. - Mahoe striper moth (Feredayia graminosa) Finally Found! https://inaturalist.nz/observations/259734707 (23/1/2025) - Yellow Admiral (Vanessa itea) Found! https://inaturalist.nz/observations/283237383 (20/5/2025) - New Zealand Magpie Moth (Nyctemera annulata) - Bamboo Moth (Artona martini) - Wētāpunga (Deinacrida heteracantha) Found!... Kind of. Wētāpunga poo! https://inaturalist.nz/observations/273540109 (24/4/2025) - Gold clam (Corbicula fluminea) - At least one Powelliphanta spp. Reptiles: - Ornate Skink - Egg Laying Skink - A new to me gecko species Plants: There are many species of plants I hope to see this year, too many to list here. The following are just a few of the species I will try to find this year. - The last three Drosera species I haven't seen in NZ - Drosera capensis - Drosera × sidjamesii - Drosera pygmya Found! https://inaturalist.nz/observations/259831560 (24/1/2025) - At least one more Lycophyte species Brownseya serpentina Found! https://inaturalist.nz/observations/259822285 (24/1/2025) - Urticularia australis Found! https://inaturalist.nz/observations/259822304 (24/1/2025) - Lobelia physaloides Found! https://inaturalist.nz/observations/260026859 (26/1/2025) - Cassytha paniculata Found! I was really happy to see this. https://inaturalist.nz/observations/259992616 (26/1/2025) - Cryptostylis subulata Found! https://inaturalist.nz/observations/259831567 (24/1/2025) - Taeniophyllum northlandicum Found! https://inaturalist.nz/observations/259942393 (25/1/2025) - Spiranthes australis Found! https://inaturalist.nz/observations/259822288 (24/1/2025) - Celmisia spectabilis - Podocarpus nivalis - Thelymitra cyanea - Cordyline indivisa - Marchantia macropora Found! https://inaturalist.nz/observations/292836574 (7/6/2025) Fungi: - Pink Bluegill (Entoloma hochstetteri) - Cruentomycena viscidocruenta (Ruby Bonnet) Found! https://inaturalist.nz/observations/290893467 (5/6/2025) **iNatting Goals For 2025:** - Reach at least 125 bird species. 13 to go! - Reach at least 300 moth species. 20 to go! - Reach at least 2000 Vascular plant species. 391 to go! - Visit at least two more alpine zones. **Planned big trips for 2025:** Far North 23-27th January Results: species found Canterbury/Christchurch, Picton and Wellington 20-30th July. **Possible big trips in 2025:** Taranaki - November Central plateau - Late Spring or January Otago?? Early spring? I hope to visit some of the offshore islands around Haruaki golf throughout the year. Tiritiri Matangi visited! All my photos are taken with an iPhone 11 pro, although I do commonly use macro lens attachments. My current profile photo is of me while tramping/iNatting in the Tangihua ranges southwest of Whangārei on 28th of October 2024. Cheers, Joseph
Continued thread

One of the recent iNaturalist highlights from Banks Peninsula is this little moth, that Mel Whiting photographed in the Port Hills above Taylor’s Mistake at the end of May. It was photographed visiting a yellow flower of the native oxalis, *Oxalis exilis*. They weren’t sure what it was and uploaded it to iNat to find out.

Thanks to the identifications and comments by NZ moth experts Neville Hudson and Robert Hoare, it turns out to be a rare, and still undescribed, endemic NZ moth species, currently only known as *Scythris* “stripe”.

Robert commented “Yes, amazing discovery! I think maybe only the 4th ever seen.”

Two of those four observations were made on #iNaturalist, the other being a moth I found in the Port Hills above near the Sign of the Kiwi back in May 2022.

Every observation counts, especially for rarely seen species like these species that we know so little about.

inaturalist.nz/observations/28

iNaturalist NZGenus ScythrisScythris from Sumner, Christchurch 8081, New Zealand on May 31, 2025 at 02:11 PM by melwhiting. Very small

Last night I was in Little River talking to the Banks Peninsula community about #iNaturalist. We're now approaching 4,000 observers, almost 184,000 observations, and almost 3,700 identfiers for the Port Hills/Banks Peninsula area. There is already so much to celebrate and the observations keep coming every day.

I'm appreciative of all the folk that came out to listen, and who asked lots of excellent questions. I tip my hat to the Living Streams Community Nursery (a Little River based native plant nursery) that organised the evening, and to the Little River Inn that hosted us. Check out the excellent blackboard that the Inn staff put out by the door. 😀

inaturalist.nz/observations?pl

ECSA2026 SECOND CALL IS NOW OPEN
Over the coming weeks, we will be 𝑠𝑝𝑜𝑡𝑙𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑎𝑙𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑦 𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑑 𝑠𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 - panels, workshops, and roundtables - for the #ECSA2026 open call for new papers and contributions.
Stay tuned to discover where your work fits best. Remember, 𝒔𝒖𝒃𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒆 on 7 𝑶𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒃𝒆𝒓 2025.
Let’s shape the future of #citizenscience together!
#CallForPapers

Seeing fewer #fireflies this year? Here’s why, and how you can help.

Fireflies are vulnerable to #ClimateChange and habitat loss. Some simple landscaping tricks and turning off porch lights can make a big difference.

This coverage is made possible through a partnership between #Grist and #BPR, a #PublicRadio station serving western #NorthCarolina.

Katie Myers Regional Reporter, #Appalachia, July 11, 2025

Excerpt: "Basham and Jacobs have a few other tips for helping fireflies thrive. You don’t need to be a scientist to help protect fireflies. In fact, the biggest difference comes from how we care for our own #backyards. Here are a few things Basham and Jacobs recommend:

- Turn off your #PorchLights. Fireflies are incredibly sensitive to #ArtificialLight, and it can confuse them.
- Ditch the manicured lawn and embrace #NativePlants. In addition to being easier to care for, they suit the local environment and conserve water.
- Leave some leaves behind when you rake in the fall. They’re a great place for fireflies to find food, stay cool, and lay eggs.
- Plant shrubs, tufting grasses, and other, large plants. These can shelter fireflies during rainstorms and other severe weather.
- If you spot fireflies, jot down when and where you saw them and add your observations to citizen science databases like iNaturalist, Firefly Watch, or Firefly Atlas to help scientists collect data.

"Even among those who study fireflies, the thrill of spotting them remains magical. Lower has made many excursions to the southern #AppalachianMountains to find the famous, ethereal 'blue ghosts.' Rather than flicker, the insects emit a continuous bluish-green glow. 'You walk into the pitch black woods and at first you can’t really see anything right because your eyes are getting used to the darkness,' Lower said. 'But eventually you start to see all these dim glows.' "

grist.org/science/seeing-fewer

Grist · Seeing fewer fireflies this year? Here’s why, and how you can help.By Katie Myers

Ongoing Cave Climate Data Collection in Australia

Back in 2020, in the depths of COVID lockdowns here in Australia, the Australasian Cave and Karst Management Association organised a cave climate 'baseline monitoring' project. At that time, numerous tourist caves were closed to visitors. The opportunity was taken to record the cave climate. Data loggers were calibrated and shipped to the participating cave organisations. They regularly sent back cave temperature and relative humidity data....

andy-baker.org/2025/07/20/ongo

Andy Baker · Ongoing Cave Climate Data Collection in Australia
More from Andy Baker

Journal for Occultation Astronomy 2025-03 is now available for free.

iota-es.de/JOA/joa2025_3.pdf

This issue:
Call for Observations: occultation by Ganymede on 2025 Oct 14, measurement of the solar diameter during the partial eclipse in March 2025, Beyond Jupiter: (229762) Gǃkúnǁʼhòmdímà, new asteroidal satellite discoveries, invitations to meetings and more.

Back issues:
iota-es.de/joafree.html

#CitizenScience #WesternAustralia #WildOz #Australia

zooniverse.org/projects/birgus help us categorize the animals of Tutanning Nature Reserve in South Western Australia - see phascogales in action and Owlet Nightjars and help with their conservation.

Disclaimer: I'm a moderator there and I think it's pretty cool. You get a pretty neat tutorial and you'll be all set to go.

www.zooniverse.orgZooniverseThe Zooniverse is the world’s largest and most popular platform for people-powered research.