SEED Citizen Science Hub retirement FAQ's

What was the SEED Citizen Science Hub (CSH)? 

The SEED Citizen Science Hub (CSH) was launched in July 2020 and was a key component of the Department of Planning and Environment’s (DPE) and SEED’s external Citizen Science presence, creating a Citizen Science network that connected people, projects, and data. Citizen Science is widely used across DPE and the broader community. Several government programs, such as Saving our Species, the Koala strategy, and Forest Monitoring Improvement Program, employ Citizen Science in their initiatives.

Why was the SEED Citizen Science Hub being retired? 

As of 30 June 2023, the CSH was retired due to limited resources in maintaining the required level of engagement and fulfilling its envisioned intent in serving the goals of Citizen Science. The CSH infrastructure is being adapted to support the creation of multiple hubs or themed environments. Organisations can create a bespoke hub that incorporates specific data themes to enhance user engagement with their theme and data available on SEED. 

I was a project owner using CSH. What is an alternative platform I can use to continue my Citizen Science projects now that the CSH has been retired? 

We encourage all project owners who are seeking an alternative platform, to transition their Citizen Science projects to the ALA. SEED and DPE has worked in collaboration with the ALA to facilitate a transition to ensure a seamless continuation of your projects.  

Please follow the step-by-step instructions in the ALA’s User Manual from pages 7-11 for guidance on project registration. You will have the opportunity to migrate your data to the ALA. Refer to the guide here.

If you require assistance or support in migrating your project to the ALA, please reach out to us at [email protected]. Our team is available to provide guidance and help you through the process of transitioning to the ALA platform.

What will happen to project data after the retirement of the CSH? 

• If your data already sits in SEED, it will continue to sit in SEED.
• Data from CSH will continue to be discoverable on SEED even after the retirement of the CSH, this includes data from the Saving our Species and Koala programs. If your data sits on any of the below platforms, no action is needed
  • BioNet
  • iNaturalist
  • Atlas of Living Australia
• If your data doesn't sit on one of the above platforms, or you'd like a platform to support your project management, we suggest uploading it onto the Atlas of Living Australia by following the Step by Step guide here.
• If you have data from your project that you would like to link to SEED, or if you aren’t sure if it is already in SEED, contact the team at [email protected]

Who will communicate with my project volunteers about this change?  

SEED CSH project owners will need to contact volunteers from their project to update them on how to participate in their projects moving forward.

I am a project owner and already have effective channels to promote my project and engage with my volunteers. I don’t want to use a new platform, is it mandatory to transfer over to the ALA?

It is not mandatory to move your project over to the ALA so keep doing what you’re doing.

Does this mean that SEED doesn’t support Citizen Science?  

Not at all.

The retirement of the CSH is part of an effort to maintain a sufficient standard of support for Citizen Science. SEED will continue to make Citizen Science data discoverable on its website alongside non-Citizen Science data and is actively pursuing how it can better support the integration of Citizen Science data in decision-making and research.

How will SEED support the key aspects of the CSH's intent after its retirement? 

Although the CSH has been retired, SEED is adapting the hub infrastructure to support the creation of multiple hubs or themed environments. This allows the creation of bespoke hubs that incorporate specific data themes to enhance user engagement with data available on SEED.  

SEED remains committed to making Citizen Science data discoverable alongside non-Citizen Science data, ensuring the continued support of Citizen Science initiatives. Citizen Science data can be connected to SEED by contacting [email protected]. The retirement of the CSH does not change this process. 

Can I continue to participate in CS projects as well as access and use CS data outside of the CSH?  

Absolutely! We encourage your continued involvement in Citizen Science projects. There are many ways you can volunteer outside of the CSH.  

Participating through DPE 

If you are looking to participate in Citizen Science initiatives, several programs from Saving our Species (SoS) were shared during Citizen Science Month. If you would like to be involved in these programs, you can find more information on them below:  

• Bats in Backyards
• Guardians of the Green and Golden Bell Frog
• Slug Sleuth
• Counting Coppers
• Koalas and Others Biodiversity Project

If you would like to learn more about how you can volunteer through the SoS programs, you can email the team at [email protected].

To explore further opportunities for involvement and volunteering through the Department of Planning and Environment, please visit our volunteer page here.

Participating through Atlas Living of Australia (ALA)
The ALA is a collaborative, digital, open infrastructure that pulls together Australian biodiversity data from multiple sources, making it accessible and reusable. To learn more about how you can volunteer through ALA, you can visit:
https://auth.ala.org.au/userdetails//registration/createAccount

Participating through Australian Museum  
If you are interested in participating in various Citizen Science projects offered by the Australian Museum, you can explore the following opportunities: 

• FrogID
• Australasian Fishes project
• Date a Fossil

More information can be found here.

Are there other platforms I can search for Citizen Science projects on?

Yes, there are. The Australian Citizen Science Association (ACSA) partnered with ALA to develop a project finder.

You can search projects here.

Please follow the step-by-step instructions in ALA’s User Manual from pages 5-7 for guidance on how to find Citizen Science projects. Refer to the guide here.     

If you would like to sign up for projects through Atlas Living of Australia, it should take you no more than two minutes to create your own account. You can register here.  

How can I access and use Citizen Science data outside now?

To access and use Citizen Science data outside now, you can search on SEED or find data on ALA. 

If you would like to add data to SEED contact [email protected].

Who should I contact for general Citizen Science inquiries?

For general inquiries, you can reach out to [email protected]. For inquiries specific to SEED or data, reach out to the SEED team at [email protected]. We are here to assist you with any questions you may have about this transition.