Keywords:
Biological invasions, citizen science, monitoring, early detection, iNaturalistAbstract
Citizen Science is a valuable tool for raising awareness and engaging society in the fight against invasive alien species. In line with this challenge, the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge launched “InvaPlant” in 2023 as an initiative to promote citizen participation in detecting and enhancing knowledge about invasive alien flora through the digital application iNaturalist. The mobilization of the community through bioblitzes and social media campaigns has boosted civic engagement. With over five hundred members enrolled in the project, thousands of observations have been collected in just one year. “Invaplanters” have uncovered new chorological insights, highlighting their pivotal role in early detection. Validated data from iNaturalist will contribute to meeting Spain’s legal conservation commitments. Join the challenge at https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/invaplant and follow us on our social media channels (@InvaPlant).
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References
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