Citizen Scientist Badge

Citizen Scientist Badge
Citizen Scientist Badge Description .PDF

Citizen Scientist Badge

Citizen Scientist Badge

How to Qualify for the Citizen Scientist Badge

The purpose of the Citizen Scientist Badge is to:

• provide tools for hikers to learn, understand and better appreciate the natural world seen along the Bruce Trail.
• To collect biodiversity data along the Bruce Trail for the Land Stewards, Property Owners, and Conservation and Trail Staff at the Bruce Trail Conservancy.
• To support and participate in the Citizen Science program of the Bruce Trail Conservancy.
• To encourage participants to pass on their knowledge to other hikers during hikes.
• To promote the notion that all hikers need to be stewards of the Bruce Trail.

To Start

• Download the free iNaturalist app 👉 iPhone / 👉 Android
• Create an iNaturalist account with a username and password. Note: The username is the name you will use to log in. You do not have to use your real name, but when you apply for your Badge, please let us know the username you have chosen. You may also add a photo to your Profile to create a unique or fun presence on iNaturalist, but it is not required.
• Register as a BTC Citizen Science volunteer for the Bruce Trail Conservancy iNaturalist Project by going to the projects tab in the app, search for Bruce trail conservancy, select the project and hit the ‘join’ button.  at brucetrail.org.
• Start making observations.

Criteria for Earning the Citizen Scientist Badge

• To earn your badge record 100 species observations along the Bruce Trail by taking photographs of any living thing observed and upload them to the Bruce Trail Conservancy Project. Note: If you upload 10 images of Monarch Butterflies, this will count as 10 observations, but only one species. To qualify for the badge, you will need to identify 100 species. When on the trail, it isn’t necessary to log in to iNaturalist. You can take pictures using the app and log in to iNaturalist when to get home using your home network. Once you log in, your images will automatically upload to iNaturalist. Make sure you add each observation to the Bruce Trail Conservancy Project.
• When you have accumulated 100 individual species in the Bruce Trail Conservancy project, you may apply for your badge. This includes anyone who accumulated 100 species even before the Citizen Scientist Badge was initiated.

How Can I Track My Progress?

Your Bruce Trail Project observations and species count can be reviewed at any time by using the Filters function on your Observations page.
First log in to iNaturalist using your log in name and password.
Press “Projects” at the bottom of your “Observations” screen.
Search for the Bruce Trail Conservancy Project.
On the top menu, press “Observers” and then scroll down to locate your name to view your observation total and species total.
The actual procedure may vary depending on what type of computer or smartphone you use.

To receive your badge:

Once you have achieved 100 Species in the Bruce Trail Conservancy Project:
Send an e-mail to badges at caledonbrucetrail dot org. Include your iNaturalist username, your BTC Membership number if you have one, your name, and full mailing address.
Send an Interac e-Transfer in the amount of $10 (BTC Member) or $15 (Non-member) to treasurer at caledonbrucetrail dot org.
Please write ”badge” and name of hiker requesting the badge (if different than sender) in the message.

Or

Mail a cheque in the amount of $10 (BTC Member) or $15 (Non-member) made payable to The Caledon Hills Bruce Trail Club and a self-addressed envelope to:

Colleen Darrell
Caledon Hills Bruce Trail Club
P.O Box 781
Erin, Ontario
N0B 1T0

Please allow up to 6 weeks to receive your badge.