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About

As part of National Science Week 2025, CSIRO is launching its inaugural National Science Experiment: CSIRO Wild Watch, a nationwide citizen science initiative. Australians of all ages are encouraged to step outside, explore their local environment, observe native flora and fauna, and record their findings using an adult created and maintained iNaturalist account. This initiative aims to inspire families, schools, and community groups to engage with nature while playing an active role in understanding and protecting Australia’s unique ecosystems. Whether you're a student, teacher, parent, or nature enthusiast, CSIRO Wild Watch offers a hands-on opportunity to become a citizen scientist. Comprehensive resources are available to support participation, making it easy to get involved. So, grab your device, head outdoors, and help CSIRO uncover the secrets of our biodiversity because every observation helps science, and every discovery counts.

The student worksheets have been designed for printing; therefore, only an accessible PDF version has been supplied.

[An animation image appears of a grey screen with heading text above a blue text box, and text appears: CSIRO Wild Watch, Our first national science experiment made for young explorers!]
Narrator: Join CSIRO Wild Watch, our first national science experiment made for young explorers.
[Animation image changes to show people using smart phones on a map of Australia]
Unite with a nationwide team of citizen scientists to help track Australia's incredible biodiversity.
[Animation image changes to show an adult using a smartphone between two children on the right, and a blue heading text box appears on the right, and text appears: How to participate in CSIRO Wild Watch]
Getting started is easy.
[Animation image shows a white heading text appearing below the blue heading text box, and new text appears: Adults register at- www.csiro.au/WildWatch]
Adults can register at www.csiro.au/WildWatch.
[Animation images move through to show an index finger tapping a smart phone screen, tapping through the iNaturalist app to creating an account as ticks appear, and text appears: Create Account, Search Projects, CSIRO WILD WATCH, CSIRO Wild watch]
Once registered, download the iNaturalist app, create an account and join the CSIRO Wild Watch project.
[Animation image changes to show a town map brochure unfolding]
Now you're ready to begin.
[Animation image shows pin drops appearing around the map, and a text box appears top left with dot points, and text appears: National Science Week!, -Park, -Reserve, -Bushwalk, -Beach, -Backyard, -Schoolyard]
During National Science Week, your local park, reserve, bushwalk, beach, backyard or schoolyard becomes your science lab.
[Animation image changes to show an index finger tapping a smart phone’s screen to photograph yellow wattle flowers, a shark egg, wheat heads, and then saving them to the app, and text appears: CSIRO WILD WATCH PROJECT, Save Observations]
Snap a photo of any interesting plants or animals and using the iNaturalist app save these to the CSIRO Wild Watch project as an observation.
[Animation image changes to show the hand pointing at three ”WILD FILES” document folders with a photo of snails on vegetation on the top file, and text appears: TERRESTRIAL SNAILS]
You can browse our wild files for inspiration.
[Animation image changes to people loading photos from their smart phones to the Atlas of Living Australia in a white circle above, and text appears: Atlas of Living Australia, ala.org.au, National Research Collections Australia]
Every observation is shared with the Atlas of Living Australia, our national biodiversity database, and scientists at our National Research Collections Australia who work to understand and monitor our native biodiversity.
[Animation image changes to show a grey screen with heading text above a blue text box, and text appears: CSIRO Wild Watch, Register today!]
So grab your device and join CSIRO Wild Watch, where every discovery counts.

Available resources

Australian Curriculum links

View how these resources can be linked to certain learning areas within the Australian curriculum.

Download Australian Curriculum links  PDF (435 KB)

Download Australian Curriculum links - text version  TXT (9 KB)

Teacher and student resources

To comply with child safety standards, we ask that only adults engage with the iNaturalist platform.

CSIRO National Science Experiment: CSIRO Wild Watch guides and general information

These resources offer a clear overview of CSIRO Wild Watch and explain how adults and young people can get involved in the CSIRO National Science Experiment. Learn how to create an iNaturalist account on behalf of a group of young people, upload iNaturalist observations, how technology is used in the National Reseach Collections Australia, and much more.

 
 

CSIRO National Science Experiment: CSIRO Wild Watch Wild Files

The CSIRO Wild Files are short resources that highlight priority plant and animal groups linked to CSIRO research, explaining their significance and offering interesting facts. They help guide participants in selecting organisms to observe during Wild Watch, ensuring data collected supports ongoing research efforts. These files also provide a valuable opportunity for discussions about biodiversity monitoring and the importance of recording species sightings.

 
 

CSIRO National Science Experiment: CSIRO Wild Watch Wild Files Activities

The CSIRO Wild Files include three optional activities designed to engage students in learning about focus organisms in different ways, suitable for various learning levels. Teachers can choose the activities that best fit their students, with the Wanted Poster and Map activities recommended for Primary School, and the Map and Book Page activities for Secondary School. These activities also serve as a great starting point for discussions about the featured organisms.