Wild Tweets: Using Twitter to Monitor Wildlife
Published July 01, 2009 @ 11:53AM PT
Since joining Twitter and making connections in the "green" Twitter world, I have heard a lot of people wondering whether the environmental community can focus all of Twitter's positive energy towards a greater purpose.
Can we get people who tweet to use their voice to help nature and inspire others to do the same?
Many groups have started experimenting with Twitter, including holding fund-raising drives, marketing and just recently, NWF held a "Twestoration" where volunteers tweeted about their environmental restoration projects.
NWF's Wildlife Watch is hoping that the Twitter community will use their 140 characters to help monitor wildlife.
Wildlife Watch is a citizen monitoring program where the public reports animal, plants and natural phenomena sightings online to NWF.
Most of the data is collected on the Wildlife Watch website at www.nwf.org/watch. However, the program has now opened up to include the Twitter community.
Anyone on Twitter can participate and report cool wildlife sightings.
You don't even have to know what you see! Simply tell us about your experiences with interesting wildflowers, amphibians, birds, and mammals. All wildlife tweets are important, because they can be used to inspire others through environmental education.
Just getting excited about nature can have a huge impact on a child and teach them something new. We want to hear it all!
"A ruby-throated hummingbird visited my balcony garden today! It was so beautiful with the metallic colors and fast wing beats! #nwf"
"Went for a hike yesterday at a Maryland park. Spotted a toad, doves, red salamanders, and a kingfisher. Can't wait to go back. #nwf"
How to Wildlife Watch through Twitter
All you have to do is write your Twitter status update about a nature sighting and finish it with #nwf.
The hashtag #nwf marks your tweet as Wildlife Watch data and sends it directly to NWF's website. If you follow Wildlife Watch online at http://www.twitter.com/wildlife_watch then you can stay updated on the latest news and even ask questions. Check out the Wildlife Watch Twitter stream.
Also feel free to follow @NWF Staff on Twitter!
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