Citizen Mapping

YOU can take action to help identify and protect special places!

DIEM is looking for community observations of natural features, sensitive ecosystems, and local species – as well as changes to habitat and landscape features. Please share your local knowledge to help create a map that documents what is important.

DIEM Project is also collecting field observations to identify and inventory at risk species and ecological communities in the Discovery Islands. This citizen science project is a working partnership with the BC’s Conservation Data Center (CDC). The Species & Ecological Communities at Risk description on each of the Sensitive Ecosystems pages lists some of the species observed in the Discovery Islands. Learn to recognize and then keep a lookout for these species and ecological communities at risk. Every sighting of a species at risk is important and we’re keen to hear from you!

How to Submit Your Observations

A picture, location, and description are all that’s needed – and there are several easy ways to provide information. Let us help if you have questions, or if you have larger amounts of information to share, or if you prefer to share your observation files in a different way.

Observations can be collected in-the-field with a phone or tablet; submit by email when it’s convenient.

1. Take a picture 
2. Identify the date and location. Most cameras have “location services” option that you can activate.
3. Describe what’s interesting or important about your observation.
4. Email to: diemmapping@gmail.com with “Community Map Observation” in the subject line of your email.

What to Look for

Old-growth tree – significantly large veteran trees of all species (and big stumps)

Culturally modified tree – information will be submitted to local First Nations

Wildlife trees & snags – nesting birds (eg. eagle, heron, owl, goshawk, marbled murrelet), nesting/ denning mammals (eg. flying squirrels, bears), bird & bat roosts, cougar scratch trees, etc.

Evidence of wildlife use – scat, pellets, tracks, prey kills, vernal bathing pools, corridors/consistent use by wildlife, seasonal migration routes – eg. salamanders/newts, ducks/geese/shorebirds, etc.

Uncommon/notable plant & animal species for your area – e.g. golden eagle, snowy owl, brodiaea

Invasive species of plants & animals – eg. bullfrog, English ivy, holly, gorse, etc. 

Evidence of plant & animal disease – eg. mistletoe, distemper, starfish wasting, etc.                                

Wetlands, wet ground & seasonally flooded fields 

Creeks and riparian areas – year-round or ephemeral, fish presence (eg. salmonids), habitat damage/ blockage to fish, etc.

Estuaries – spawning salmon, eelgrass at low tide, herring spawn, etc.

Interesting or unusual landforms – karst features (sinkholes, caves, rills), erratics, fossil bearing rocks, etc.

Multiple Observations:

A list or table (such as below) could be used for sending multiple observations in the body of the email or  as a separate attachment.

OBSERVER NAME

[your name, leave blank if desired]

John Smith

DATE & LOCATION 

24-Mar-2018

[most cameras have “Location Services” option that you can activate]

DESCRIPTION

[details about your observation]

Picture1 : Solitary old growth Douglas Fir tree approximately 4M circumference.  Fire scars on SE side of trunk.  Tree looks in good health.