Since 2022, we’ve invited WildTracker participants to complete a survey via their user Dashboard. This asked lots of questions about the wildlife you’ve seen on your property, where you intended to place a camera trap, your personal connection to nature, and any management actions you undertake. We’ve been pleasantly surprised by how many of you contributed, so thank you!
The survey has since been adopted under a larger research program in partnership with researchers at the University of Tasmania and James Cook University. As part of this research, we will invite WildTracker participants and members of the Tasmanian Land Conservancy’s Land for Wildlife program to complete follow-up surveys annually until 2026. You’ll find the link to the second survey below.
But first, let’s take a look at some of the findings so far. We asked…
How confident are you in identifying your local mammals?
How confident are you in identifying your local birds?
How confident are you in identifying your local reptiles and amphibians?
These results show that WildTracker participants have a wide range of confidence when it comes to identifying different species. Most people feel pretty confident with mammals, with around three-quarters rating themselves as competent or higher. Bird ID is a bit trickier, but still, more than half consider themselves competent or better. Reptiles and amphibians are clearly the trickiest group, with most participants at a novice or advanced beginner level—proof that we could all use a refresher on our frogs!
I want to improve my ability to identify wildlife in my local area.
Even though many participants already feel confident identifying wildlife, almost everyone is keen to improve, with nearly 60% strongly agreeing they want to sharpen their local ID skills and another third agreeing.
How many of your neighbours do you know by name?
WildTracker participants seem to be a well-connected bunch: nearly 60% know most or all of their neighbours, and only a small handful don’t speak to anyone nearby. Without diving into the data, this suggests WildTracker’s might have stronger local connections than the average Aussie.
My neighbours and I share a similar attitude toward wildlife management and conservation.
There’s more variation when it comes to shared attitudes with neighbours on wildlife management and conservation. About half somewhat or strongly agree that they share similar views, but a substantial proportion are neutral or even somewhat in disagreement—showing that close community ties mightn’t always mean complete alignment on conservation issues. From many conversations with WildTracker participants, we know that disagreements often arise over keeping pets indoors or under control.
How often have you spoken with neighbours about wildlife or the environment?
On that note, 20% of survey respondents said they often speak with their neighbours about wildlife or the environment, and a further 42% do so sometimes.
Most survey participants imagined putting a camera trap out in the bush on their rural or lifestyle block. Though we know there are some out there on working farms and in urban areas where wildlife is undoubtedly still present.
How would you rate this space at providing habitat for native wildlife?
Most participants gave their land 6–10 stars for habitat value, with over half awarding 8 or more—suggesting that many landholders think their properties are already welcoming a good share of the wildlife that could live there.
When asked to list all the mammals that use the space where a camera was intended, the most commonly chosen species were pademelons, echidnas, and wallabies (no surprises there 🦘). With the least commonly selected species being pygmy possums, native water rats (rakali) and fallow deer 🦌. Hopefully it stays this way for the deer at least!
Sixty percent of survey respondents indicated that they often select native plant species when planting or gardening 🌱. Participants’ use of gathered fallen wood for burning varies widely. About a quarter do it often, a third sometimes, and the rest rarely or never. Similarly, raking or removing leaf litter varies across properties 👩🌾. These practices are often motivated by reducing fire risk and maintaining hazard-reduction zones around buildings and other infrastructure.
In the past year, how often have you raked and/or removed leaf litter?
Most participants (70%) reported never managing stray or feral cats 🐈, with only a small proportion doing so sometimes or often. This reflects the complexities of managing cats and that it mightn’t always be appropriate or feasible for every property.
Hand or mechanical control of weeds is common among participants, with nearly 18% doing it often and another 8% sometimes, showing that weed management is a priority for many landholders.
WildTracker survey respondents are a bunch of do-gooders 🙂 With two-thirds of respondents indicating they have volunteered time for activities that take care of the environment like tree planting or weeding and 56% sometimes or often picking up litter in public spaces (beaches, hiking trails) .
In this video from the Tasmanian Land Conservancy’s 2024 Science Symposiums, Professor Vanessa Adams describes how participants of TLC programs (i.e., WildTracker and Land for Wildlife) scored on average significantly higher than the national and even the Tasmanian averages, on the Nature Connection Index (NC12) measured through several questions in the survey. This suggests that those involved feel a stronger bond with the natural world around them. We can’t tell if this correlation reflects the fact that nature-connected people tend to join WildTracker and Land for Wildlife (and participate in surveys!), or if joining these programs helps to strengthen nature connection, or both.
This is just a quick snapshot of the high-level things we’ve learned about WildTracker participants through the first survey. But of course, the more people who take part, the clearer the picture becomes. So, if you haven’t already completed the baseline survey, maybe pop it on your to-do list.
The second follow-up survey (2/3) is much shorter and focuses on any changes you’ve noticed on your property over the past year, as well as your capacity to respond to threats to native habitats. Even if nothing has changed, or you didn’t complete the first survey, your answers are still invaluable.
Some questions may feel familiar—or even identical—to those asked before. This repetition is deliberate, helping us track changes in attitudes, behaviours, and experiences over time. Remember, this survey is also designed for Land for Wildlife members, so a few questions might not be relevant if your property is smaller or has little native vegetation.
Thanks to everyone who has completed the survey, and to those who will, we can’t wait to share the full results with you at the conclusion of the research!