TurtleSAT

 

TurtleSAT is our Flagship program where where communities are mapping the location of freshwater turtles in waterways and wetlands across the country. Australia's unique freshwater turtles are in crisis - their numbers are declining and your help is needed to record where you see turtles in your local area.

 

Power of Citizen Science!

The TurtleSAT interface is simple to use but the data collected is extremely powerful and will help manage turtles in your local area. Through Citizen Science, this community mapping tool will provide information such as

• Where do turtles live?

• Where do they breed?

• Are there important breeding 'hotspots'?

• What are the major causes of turtle decline?

• Do the causes of decline differ throughout Australia?

• How far do they disperse?

• Are there important 'source' populations that help to populate other areas?

   

  How does TurtleSAT Work?

  TurtleSAT uses mobile and traditional website technology to allow anyone to record turtle sightings and activity throughout the country. An APP is available from the APP store of any platform (Apple, Android and Windows Phone). Observers can register for an account so that they have access to a ‘My Data’ page, where all their recordings are visually displayed on a map. Alternatively, observations can be entered simply using an email address.

     

  The APP and mobile website uses a smartphone’s GPS/geolocation abilities to pinpoint the exact location of the observer and then they are taken through a series of simple questions to record their observations. Most questions are touch screen, but the APP does allow for more detailed observations to be recorded.

   

  No smartphone? No worries. If you know the location of where you saw a turtle or nest, you can simply record your sightings on the computer at a later date. Go to TurtleSAT.org.au to start mapping.

   

  Linking Community Groups and Management Agencies

  TurtleSAT also hosts a new resource allowing you to create or join an online group to share your data with other people in your local area. The Community Facility can be used to bring people together to map turtle sightings and mortality.

   

  If you are a member of an existing group (such as a CMA, Landcare Group, landholder network or Local Council) this new feature could be very useful to you and your members. This feature allows a central management agency to access and maintain data collected by members of that community.

   

  Integrating current data recording protocols

  If you have a large number of turtle sightings you would like to import into TurtleSAT, you can enter these sightings into a simple Microsoft Excel template that can be sent to the TurtleSAT Team to upload into TurtleSAT on your behalf.

   

  The Future

  Currently TurtleSAT is focused on species in south-eastern Australia. The future is a fully-fledged APP that will detect your region and customised templates will be provided to allow more accurate species detection, as well as, specific questions relevant to a particular area (or community group). TurtleSAT is currently a hybrid APP that relies on data connection (eg. 3G or WiFi). To truly provide a coverage throughout Australia, TurtleSAT must become a full APP that is functional without a data connection. A full APP will also allow us to develop a field guide of Australian turtles.

   

  Funding

  This project is proudly supported by many organisations, community groups and dedicated individuals. We work closely with Aboriginal Learning On Country (ALOC) and Local Action Planning groups in South Australia, Turtles Australia (http://www.turtlesaustralia.org.au/), and the North Central Catchment Management Authority in Victoria.

   

   

  To progress TurtleSAT to a fully-fledged APP that will serve the needs of the general public, community groups and conservation agencies throughout Australia, we require approximately $20,000 to develop the APP and field guide on all platforms. All levels of contribution are welcome and funding bodies will have their logo displayed throughout the websites and APPs. Funders will also have the opportunity to tailor TurtleSAT to their needs for specific regions.

   

  We envisage significant media coverage of the project, highlighted by the launch on World Turtle day in May 2014 (see links below). TurtleSAT will be the focus of a Turtle Month in October each year. If you cannot contribute directly to the development of TurtleSAT, there are many levels of indirect contribution- from promoting TurtleSAT and Turtle Month (eg. advertising material or promotion through the media), to simply using TurtleSAT regularly and incorporating it into any data recording or conservation program.

 

 

SOME MEDIA ABOUT TurtleSAT

 

Channel 7 News Sydney ‘New app to track turtles’-

 

SBS-‘New smartphone app could help save Australian turtles’

 

Australian Geographic- ‘Help save turtles with a new tracking app’

 

Adelaide Advertiser- ‘River Murray turtle numbers in crisis’

 

To download the free app:

 

iPhone

 

iPad

 

Android

 

Windows Phone