• Interested in the ‘outdoors’?
• Want to learn more about the animals and plants around you?
• Want to make discoveries? Perhaps even find a new species?
• Want to help (1) Te Papa with its scientific research and (2) New Zealand better understand and manage its biodiversity?

Sounds like the citizen science projects accompanying the DeCLASSIFIED! exhibition are for you!

Citizen science – be part of the DeCLASSIFIED! exhibition

These are some of the contributions to our citizen science projects, and have been displayed at Te Papa as part of the DeCLASSIFIED! exhibition.

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You too might have a photo in Te Papa if you contribute an image of a spider or fern to our citizen science projects.

All contributions will help us learn more about our world. Everyone can make scientifically useful observations. That’s citizen science – be part of it!

• DeCLASSIFIED! Nature’s secrets exposed at Te Papa exhibition
• OneNews article – see Te Papa scientists talking about their recent discoveries

How to contribute

Our citizen science projects are focused on spiders and ferns. If you upload a fern or spider photo to the Te Papa projects on the NatureWatch NZ website, a Te Papa expert will identify it.
NatureWatch NZ – citizen science website

1. Grab your camera and photograph some spiders or ferns – they’re pretty much everywhere!
2. Sign in to NatureWatch NZ.
3. Click “Add observations!” and enter what, when, and where.
4. Upload your photo and save.
5. Click on ‘Add to Project’, and select either ‘Spiders with Te Papa’ or ‘Ferns with Te Papa’.
6. Repeat if you have multiple observations.
7. Finally, sit back, wait for our comments, and feel pleased with your citizen science contribution!

If you have any difficulties, please leave a comment below, or email me.

See the observations already in our citizen science projects:

• Spiders with Te Papa project on NatureWatch NZ
• Ferns with Te Papa project on NatureWatch NZ

If you’d like a head start, see our online guides to common spiders and ferns:

• What spider is that?
• Common New Zealand ferns

Not got spiders or ferns?

NatureWatch NZ welcomes observations of anything living, so don’t feel restricted. If you upload a photo of anything alive, the online NatureWatch community will try to identify it.

Disclaimers

• Te Papa and NatureWatch NZ are independent entities.
• Users of NatureWatch NZ must abide by its rules and conditions.
• Observations and images uploaded to the Spiders with Te Papa and Ferns with Te Papa projects reside with NatureWatch NZ and not Te Papa.
• NatureWatch NZ is an open and online community available only to individuals who are at least 13 years old.