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CSIRO Wild Watch

Go wild with CSIRO in National Science Week (9-17 August 2025) when you join CSIRO Wild Watch, our very first national science experiment made for young explorers! 

CSIRO Wild Watch calls curious minds— young and young-at-heart— to connect with nature and form a nationwide team of citizen scientists. Together we can understand and protect Australia's unique and beautiful biodiversity.

Stay tuned for the release of our WILD FILES - priority species you can find to support the research of CSIRO's collections team. Register to find out more.

REGISTER TODAY

[An image appears of Female 1 talking to the camera]

Big discoveries start with curious minds.

[Music plays as images move through to show two young females running along a beach, a young Female looking up at a large tree canopy, and then a young female looking through binoculars,

[Images move through to show two children running in the bush, three children jumping over large tree roots, and then a young female using a magnifying glass]

[Images move through to show a rear view of four children sitting on a small bridge, the children smiling at the smartphone, and young females playing along the shoreline with a magnifying glass]

[Image changes to show Female 1 talking to the camera, and then the image changes to show three children running across a bridge]

Explore.

[Image changes to show two females using a magnifying glass on rocks, and then the image changes to show three children using magnifying glasses in tall grass]

Observe.

[Image changes to show a child's hands taking a photo of a fern with a smartphone, and then image changes to show a child pointing right as a child uses binoculars]

Discover.

[Image changes to show a child's hands taking photos with a smartphone, and then the image changes to show Female 2 talking to the camera]

Our first national science experiment

[Image changes to show Female 1 talking to the camera]

…made for young explorers.

[Music plays as images move through to show a young male using a magnifying glass in the grass, two young females using a magnifying glass on rocks, and then two children running through the bush]

[Image changes to show Female 2 talking to the camera]

It’s called CSIRO Wild Watch.

[Music plays as images move through to show three female children looking at an iPad, two children smiling and looking at an iPad, and then four children smiling together as two children look at an iPad]

[Image changes to show a blue screen with text: CSIRO, Wild Watch, Our first national science experiment made for young explorers!]

[Image changes to show a blue screen with the CSIRO logo above text: Australia's National Science Agency]

Supporting Australian research

By observing and recording local flora and fauna, you contribute valuable data directly to Australian researchers via the Atlas of Living Australia—our national biodiversity database, hosted by CSIRO. Each week, Australian observations uploaded to the iNaturalist app are integrated into the Atlas of Living Australia. This means your contributions go straight to the researchers who need them.

Scientists at our National Research Collections Australia team want you to look out for shark and ray eggs, the yellow/orange lichen, snails, wattle and more! Help researchers track their presence and movement—crucial information for conservation and scientific discovery.

Books to help you look! 

This group of books is inspiration for anyone who wants to connect with nature in their backyard, local park or neighbourhood.

From children’s picture books to detailed field guides, there’s a book here for everyone. Subjects cover plants and fungi, animals, marine and freshwater and popular science. Have a look and find your inspiration to take your Wild Watch exploration to the next level. 

REGISTER TODAY

You can win!

Teachers, community group leaders and parents, register for CSIRO Wild Watch to receive a suite of curriculum aligned teacher resources, student worksheets and how to guides - everything you need to get started.

The first 100 people to register their interest in CSIRO Wild Watch will receive a copy of AmAZed! - a book dedicated to the A to Z of Australia's biodiversity, packed with fabulous facts about plants, animals, microbes, and the scientists who study them.

REGISTRATION FORM

CSIRO Wild Watch received grant funding through Inspiring Australia – An Australian Government Initiative.

The Australian Government supports National Science Week in a variety of ways, including through event grants. These grants help provide nationwide science engagement activities for the community.

The Inspiring Australia initiative contributes to the Australian Government's vision to engage all Australians with science.

Want to know more?

If you have a specific question about our national science experiment, please get in touch.

Contact the CSIRO Wild Watch team