About us
Learn, Participate, Conserve has been the foundation of Naturedigger since we started our journey in 2012. Our mission has always been to educate the public then engage them in scientific research and data collection. We know this hands-on involvement leads to more nature enthusiasts, and ultimately, conservationists. If you don't go out and "do" then how can you feel truly connected? In other words, you first learn about the subject matter through our apps, then participate in programs that welcome citizen scientists, and then conserve what you now find important and relevant to your life. It is our hope that Naturedigger's commitment to providing free, quality nature education will create a new generation of volunteer naturalists/citizen scientists who share one very important goal: to improve our natural world and spread the word.
About our iOS apps
All Naturedigger apps (except Rash Plants and Knotweed!) include reporting opportunities allowing our users to become intimately involved in data collection. We update our apps regularly when new photos, information or reports are added and will tell you all about it in our blog.
Each of our apps is truly unique and has something educational to offer. Our SOS app series (Monarch SOS, Lakes SOS, Horseshoe SOS and Coastal SOS) contains several reporting opportunities for citizen scientists.
Monarch SOS allows citizen scientists in the western states to tag and monitor monarchs. Users can participate in the Xerces Society Thanksgiving count as well as the Western Monarch Milkweed Mapper (WMMM).
Lakes SOS offers users in every state the opportunity to report freshwater aquatic invasive species (AIS) to local and state agencies collecting aquatic invasive species sightings.
Horseshoe SOS allows users to quickly report separated tags or tagged horseshoe crabs to the US Fish and Wildlife Service simply by opening the app and choosing the Report Tag button on the navigation screen.
Coastal SOS highlights state, federal and international organizations, as well as universities and nonprofits, who actively participate in coastal conservation, education and citizen science. Users in Florida can report endangered sawfish while turtle walkers in the Keys can report nests once they have been trained. Organizations collecting data using Coastal SOS will have a report button on their profile page.
Our two plant education apps, Rash Plants and Knotweed! contain useful information and awesome high res images of plants throughout the seasons and how they appear in different habitats and regions.
Rash Plants will keep you safe from poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac by offering over 600 images of all three poisonous plants in the toxicodendron genus as well as advice for identifying and avoiding them. Many confusing look-alikes are included to help you separate the harmless from the vicious and a quiz is available to test your mad skills once you feel up to the challenge! You will also learn how to treat the rash caused by urushiol oil with both over-the-counter remedies as well as those found in nature.
Knotweed! familiarizes you with one of the world's 100 worst invasive plant species. The app provides photos and annotated identification slides throughout the seasons to educate users about this seemingly unstoppable plant as well as management advice should you find it on your property.
With limited funding and scant personnel, researchers are looking more and more to the public for assistance collecting critical scientific data to further their research, which in many cases, may provide information to make better informed conservation and management decisions. Naturedigger provides an important link between valuable citizen scientists and the organizations in need of their expertise and commitment.
Each of our apps is truly unique and has something educational to offer. Our SOS app series (Monarch SOS, Lakes SOS, Horseshoe SOS and Coastal SOS) contains several reporting opportunities for citizen scientists.
Monarch SOS allows citizen scientists in the western states to tag and monitor monarchs. Users can participate in the Xerces Society Thanksgiving count as well as the Western Monarch Milkweed Mapper (WMMM).
Lakes SOS offers users in every state the opportunity to report freshwater aquatic invasive species (AIS) to local and state agencies collecting aquatic invasive species sightings.
Horseshoe SOS allows users to quickly report separated tags or tagged horseshoe crabs to the US Fish and Wildlife Service simply by opening the app and choosing the Report Tag button on the navigation screen.
Coastal SOS highlights state, federal and international organizations, as well as universities and nonprofits, who actively participate in coastal conservation, education and citizen science. Users in Florida can report endangered sawfish while turtle walkers in the Keys can report nests once they have been trained. Organizations collecting data using Coastal SOS will have a report button on their profile page.
Our two plant education apps, Rash Plants and Knotweed! contain useful information and awesome high res images of plants throughout the seasons and how they appear in different habitats and regions.
Rash Plants will keep you safe from poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac by offering over 600 images of all three poisonous plants in the toxicodendron genus as well as advice for identifying and avoiding them. Many confusing look-alikes are included to help you separate the harmless from the vicious and a quiz is available to test your mad skills once you feel up to the challenge! You will also learn how to treat the rash caused by urushiol oil with both over-the-counter remedies as well as those found in nature.
Knotweed! familiarizes you with one of the world's 100 worst invasive plant species. The app provides photos and annotated identification slides throughout the seasons to educate users about this seemingly unstoppable plant as well as management advice should you find it on your property.
With limited funding and scant personnel, researchers are looking more and more to the public for assistance collecting critical scientific data to further their research, which in many cases, may provide information to make better informed conservation and management decisions. Naturedigger provides an important link between valuable citizen scientists and the organizations in need of their expertise and commitment.
About our founder
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Naturedigger's founder, Tara Johnson, is a veteran environmental scientist and avid birder, who, throughout her 20+ year career has been employed in both private and public sectors. Naturedigger is a reflection of her interests which include threatened and endangered species, invasive species monitoring and control, citizen science participation and nature education.
Her career began in the early 90s in Florida with threatened species conservation including gopher tortoise relocations and Florida scrub jay surveys. Throughout her career she has conducted wetland delineations, monitoring and replications, and has been involved in every level of construction compliance from permitting to the development of on-site guidance documents. She is an invasive species consultant, educator, grant writer and program planner. Tara travels throughout the country collecting data and photos for Naturedigger apps, spending much of her time in California, New England and Florida. She not only promotes the important work of citizen science, but is an active one herself. She has been a volunteer invasive weed watcher since 2001 and became a certified invasive weed diver in 2014. Tara has been educating homeowners and the public about upland and aquatic invasive species since 2012 using community outreach events and the Naturedigger website. |
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Contact Us
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