Bittern quest: boom or bust? [afternoon]

Interested in making a difference for threatened bird species? Here’s a rare National Science Week opportunity to help analyse data collected by CallTrackers – citizen scientists who have been volunteering their time across Tasmania to help find out how these species are going. Are current conservation efforts working?

First you’ll get to quiz the presenters on what we know about the mysterious, threatened Australasian bittern. Then you can start listening to the amazing sounds of the Tassie bush at night, and see these sounds translated into brilliant colours (spectographs). You’ll be particularly listening out for the bittern’s deep booming sound.

Within the data collected by the CallTrackers, 2800 sound files have been recognised as possible bittern calls by the project software, but humans are needed to confirm these results  -  and improve the automatic recognition process at the same time.

So bring a laptop and some headphones, and get ready to listen!

There are two listening workshops - this one, in the afternoon (1:30 – 4:30 pm), and also a morning session (10 am – 1 pm). Book your place on just one, or both – whatever works for your weekend schedule. Light refreshments are included, and lunch provided for those staying for the whole day. 

This is a unique opportunity to be at the forefront of the data analysis process. And together, by the end of the day, we’ll also have more information about exactly where in Tassie the bittern has been heard. You'll be the first to know!

Open to anyone interested in birds, bird calls and nature conservation, as well as participating CallTrackers who would like to join in and learn more about using the data they’ve collected.

The workshops are taking place in the Social Sciences Building, at the University of Tasmania's Sandy Bay Campus. Find this building via the University of Tasmania’s online map.

Workshop presenters

Zoologist Dr Clare Hawkins has researched and advised on wildlife population monitoring and conservation with academic, corporate, governmental and non-governmental organisations. After 9 years as threatened species zoologist for the Tasmanian government, and a Churchill Fellowship focussing on citizen science, Clare joined forces with the Bookend Trust, a not-for-profit organisation specialising in environmental education for all ages. Based at the University of Tasmania, she collaborates widely to strengthen citizen science participation in mapping and long-term monitoring Tasmania’s threatened species - through a series of ‘Extinction Matters’ BioBlitzes and, from 2018, the NatureTrackers program, comprising projects ‘Where? Where? Wedgie!’, ‘Claws on the Line’ and 'CallTrackers'. 

The 2024 Kelcey Tiers Extinction Matters BioBlitz was the winner of the Green Gowns Awards - Australasia in the category of Creating Impact, and is now an international finalist.

Dr Jim Lovell has 30 years’ experience in radio astronomy, working on data from telescope arrays – analogous to multi-microphone audio recorders. This has involved collecting, processing, analysing and interpreting large quantities of survey data, for the University of Tasmania, CSIRO and NASA, using radio telescopes to study quasars and Earth dynamics. He has presented his work at conferences, in refereed publications (over 250 papers), to schools and the wider public, and through the media. He now applies this expertise in astrophysics to bioacoustics. He has developed innovative acoustic monitoring approaches and currently coordinates the CallTrackers citizen science project.

This workshop is supported by Inspiring Tasmania for National Science Week. See NatureTrackers’ Events Calendar for National Science Week workshops enabling you to 'Discover CallTrackers’ this August, and more...