From dragonflies to Facebook: digital disruption creates new opportunities for wetland science and conservation

Abstract

This paper describes a project that started with a proto-science communication project on wetland dragonfly biodiversity in 1998, stopped when a funding hurdle appeared in 2002, restarted with the development of an app in 2016, and culminated with the completion of a successful citizen science project in 2017. Digital disruption, in the form of an app to replace a field guide that was never printed due to lack of funds, and using digital media to facilitate a citizen science project, was the key to completing the initial project and collecting data on dragonflies (locally valued wetland species) that previously would have been difficult to achieve. The invitation to write this paper from a less formal perspective provided the opportunity to describe the unconventional progress of a project spanning 20 years, to acknowledge the contributions of family and friends, and to emphasise the new opportunities that digital tools, media and skills can provide for wetland science and biodiversity conservation.