Citizen Science

City nature challenge with a person taking a close up photograph of the natural environment

Citizen science is all about everyday people contributing to scientific research by observing and recording nature. It is a meaningful way for our community to connect with Country - the lands of the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung People who have nurtured this land we now call Darebin for tens of thousands of years.

How to get involved

Whether you're exploring a creek, walking through a park, or gardening at home, your observations will help us better understand Darebin’s biodiversity and guide how we protect it. You don’t need to be an expert, just curious and willing to look closely at the natural world around you.

Join iNaturalist

One of the easiest ways to get started is by using the iNaturalist App:

Download the iNaturalist App and create a free account
Head outdoors and take photos of plants, animals, and fungi
Upload your observations - the app helps you identify species and shares them with a global community of nature lovers.
Contribute to science: your observations are shared with the Atlas of Living Australia, supporting biodiversity research across the country.
Explore the iNaturalist map to see what others have observed in your area!

Learn more

Every observation you share as a citizen scientist helps build a clearer picture of Darebin’s natural environment. We use this community-gathered data to:

Track changes in local biodiversity over time
Guide habitat restoration and conservation efforts
Rediscover species not recorded in Darebin for many years
Spot newly emerging weeds before they spread
Celebrate and raise awareness of Darebin’s wonderful biodiversity

Get inspired

Get inspired with our webinars, created in collaboration with other councils to help you confidently explore nature using iNaturalist:

Leaves, Feathers and Scales: the Macro World: learn from experts about plants, birds, frogs, and reptiles.
The Small and Mighty Micro World: learn from experts about fungi and invertebrates.

More Apps to Explore

Expand your citizen science toolkit with these apps:

FrogID and Frog Census App – Record frog calls and sightings
Moth Tracker – Help monitor the endangered Bogong Moth
eBird and Birdata – Record bird sightings
platypusSPOT – Report platypus sightings
fungimap – Document fungi species
Butterflies Australia – Record butterfly observations

While you explore nature, please remember:

Don’t disturb wildlife or their habitats
Leave no trace by taking your rubbish with you

Upcoming Citizen Science events:

City Nature Challenge 2026

Join us for another exciting year of the City Nature Challenge, where Darebin teams up with more than 25 metropolitan Melbourne councils and a network of environmental partners to share Greater Melbourne’s biodiversity with the world.