This data-set comprises validated species occurrence records of Birds of the African continent. It is a collection of data from citizen science contributions. Records range from 1980 to present. BirdPix curates interesting and important photos of birds. There are no particular constraints on what can and cannot be submitted, apart from needing the locality and date information. It is an excellent place to deposit photos of species which are out of their normal ranges. For SABAP2 observers, it can be used to keep the photos of species for which “Out of Range Forms” were generated. For bird ringers, it can be used to store photos of birds in the hand which were for some reason interesting: for example, pictures showing unusual patterns of wing moult, plumage variation with age and sex, etc. Records submitted to BirdPix will be included in SABAP2 as incidental records for mapping bird distributions. Identification of citizen science records, based on the photos uploaded, is done by a panel of experts in the relevant taxa. The taxonomy is kept up-to-date by the project coordinator. All data, excepting records for sensitive taxa, are available to the public. Records are provided at the recorded precision, usually point coordinates. The coverage is moderate for South Africa, but very sparse for the rest of Africa.

The Animal Demography Unit (ADU) launched the Coordinated Waterbird Counts (CWAC) project in 1992 as part South Africa’s commitment to International waterbird conservation. This is being done by means of a programme of regular mid-summer and mid-winter censuses at a large number of South African wetlands. Regular six-monthly counts are regarded as a minimum standard; however, we do encourage counters to survey their wetlands on a more regular basis as this provides more accurate data. All the counts are conducted by volunteers; people and organisations with a passion for waterbird conservation. It is one of the largest and most successful citizen science programmes in Africa, providing much needed data for waterbird conservation around the world. Currently the project regularly monitors over 400 wetlands around the country, and furthermore curates waterbird data for over 600 sites. The project’s Goal & Objectives are outlined below: To act as an effective long-term waterbird monitoring tool, benefiting conservation efforts worldwide. Ensure effective project management through working closely with a host of national and international stakeholders; steadily updating and integrating this network of people; Coordinate, prioritise and expand waterbird surveys on a national scale with the emphasis on long-term monitoring; Ensure effective data management throughout the project; Manage, maintain and expand the project database; Undertake effective IT development within the project, including the upkeep and expansion of the project website; Disseminate data and results through the project website, reports, scientific papers, popular articles, direct liaison with stakeholders, or any other useful means; Promote and facilitate the use of census data specifically for policy, planning and research purposes; Raise awareness and promote the project through the website, popular articles, newsletters, interviews, talks, or any other appropriate means; Submit census data towards the African Waterbird Census Programme in part fulfilment of South Africa’s contribution to international agreements such as Ramsar, Bonn and AEWA. There are many reasons for collecting waterbird data from around the country. A comparison of counts from different wetlands gives indications of seasonal movements and the relative importance of sites for the conservation of different species. Long-term monitoring of population numbers on a site basis allows for the development of annual population indices to trace the fluctuations of populations. A few more reasons are listed below: better understand how waterbirds use wetlands; identify important wetlands for waterbird conservation; provide information support for management policies; assist in monitoring the health of wetlands; raise awareness of importance of wetlands as biodiversity hotspots; serve as an early warning system for wetland degradation; serve as an early warning system for waterbird population decline.

This data-set comprises validated species occurrence records of the Echinoderms (starfish, sea-urchins, brittle-stars and their kin) occurring in the seas and coasts of the African continent. It is a collection of data from citizen science contributions, museum collections, and published literature records. Records range from 1938 to present. EchinoMAP is a Virtual Museum and citizen science project which aims to determine the distribution and conservation priorities of Echinoderms on the African continent. It aims to serve as a repository of all existing distribution data for this group in the African continent. Echinoderms (starfish, sea-urchins, brittle-stars and their kin) are conspicuous and attractive marine animals, frequently photographed by divers. Although many can be identified from photographs, no comprehensive guide to South African species exists, making it difficult to accurately identify images. The fauna is also poorly know, making it very likely that divers will encounter species new to the region, or even to science. This site aims to collate all available images of echinoderms from South Africa, thus building up a comprehensive identification guide, as well as mapping the ranges of each species. Images of all South African echinoderms are welcomed and all contribute equally towards a better understanding of the distribution patterns of these fascinating creatures. Identification of citizen science records, based on the photos uploaded, is done by a panel of experts in the relevant taxa. The taxonomy is kept up-to-date by the project coordinator. The complete data-set is available to the public. Records are provided at the recorded precision, usually point coordinates. However, historical records were assigned to a 15x15 minute grid (or QDS) based on the locality description when no coordinates were provided. The coverage is moderate for the South African coast, but very sparse for the rest of Africa.

This data-set comprises validated species occurrence records of Neuroptera and Megaloptera across Africa, although the bulk of the data is for South Africa, Lesotho and Eswatini (former Swaziland). It is a collection of data from citizen science contributions, museum collections, personal notebooks, published literature records, and other unpublished sources. Records range from 1924 to present. The Neuroptera and Megaloptera are collectively loosely termed the "lacewings." Hence the name LacewingMAP. This is a somewhat obscure group of insects, and this project is an ideal way to sensitize everyone to their existence. Lacewings are one of nature's best all-purpose predators and provide essential "ecosystem services": they control aphids. LacewingMAP is a project in collaboration with Dr Mervyn Mansel, University of Pretoria, and a world leader in lacewing research. . He has digitized the museum specimens in the major museum collections in southern Africa. This data was uploaded into GBIF and forms the basis of the data holdings in LacewingMAP. LacewingMAP is a Virtual Museum and citizen science project which aims to determine the distribution and conservation priorities of “Lacewings” on the African continent. Identification of citizen science records, based on the photos uploaded, is done by a panel of experts in the relevant taxa. The taxonomy is kept up-to-date by the project coordinator, a professional entomologist. All data available in this dataset is shareable. Records are provided at the recorded precision, usually point coordinates. However, historical records were assigned to a 15x15 minute grid (or QDS) based on the locality description when no coordinates were provided. The coverage is good for South Africa, Lesotho and Eswatini, moderate for Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Malawi but very sparse for the rest of Africa.

The Birds in Reserves Project, or for short BIRP, started in 1992 and is run as a National “Citizen Science” project by the Animal Demography Unit (ADU), based at the University of Cape Town (UCT). The primary aim of the project is the collection of bird occurrence data, specifically inside South African protected areas (PAs). The process is fairly simple; volunteers go out to any PA and simply make a list of all the bird species observed. Data can be collected up to a maximum of seven days. This project is well suited for people that simply want to contribute their sightings (within protected areas) to a worthwhile cause. Equally, the BIRP project can serve as an avifaunal baseline monitoring tool for all protected areas, whether big or small. The data is submitted to the ADU, processed and made available on this website. The data collected serves a variety of users; private, recreational, institutional and academic. The project is supported and endorsed by both the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) as well as BirdLife South Africa (BLSA).

This data-set comprises validated species occurrence records of the insect Order Odonata, i. e. Dragonflies and Damselflies occurring in the African continent. It is a collection of data from citizen science contributions, museum collections, personal notebooks, published literature records, and other unpublished sources. Records range from 1762 to present. OdonataMAP is a Virtual Museum and citizen science project which aims to determine the distribution and conservation priorities of Odonata on the African continent. OdonataMAP is building the 21st century distribution maps for Africa's Odonata. It aims to serve as a repository of all existing distribution data for this group in the African continent. OdonataMAP also seeks to improve public awareness of the value and plight of this charismatic order of insects and to provide government agencies with a clear definition of conservation priorities that will help them to plan their activities. OdonataMAP build on the Odonata Database of Africa (ODA) and incorporates the full ODA database in its 2016 version (see Lineage). Identification of citizen science records, based on the photos uploaded, is done by a panel of experts in the relevant taxa. The taxonomy is kept up-to-date by the project coordinator. The complete data-set is available to the public. Records are provided at the recorded precision, usually point coordinates. However, historical records were assigned to a 15x15 minute grid (or QDS) based on the locality description when no coordinates were provided. The coverage is good for South Africa, Lesotho and Eswatini, moderate to very sparse for the rest of Africa.

This data-set comprises validated species occurrence records of Insect Order Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies) across Africa, although the bulk of the data is for South Africa, Lesotho and Eswatini (former Swaziland). It is a collection of data from citizen science contributions, museum and private collections, personal notebooks, published literature records, surveys and other unpublished sources. Records range from 1800 to present. LepiMAP is a Virtual Museum and citizen science project which aims to determine the distribution and conservation priorities of Lepidoptera on the African continent. LepiMAP is building the 21st century distribution maps for Africa's moths and butterflies. LepiMAP also aims to improve public awareness of the value and plight of Lepidoptera and also provide government agencies with a clear definition of conservation priorities that will help them to plan their activities. LepiMAP is the continuation of the Southern African Butterfly Conservation Assessment (SABCA) and incorporates the full SABCA database. SABCA was formally stablished in 2007 as a three-way partnership between the Animal Demography Unit (Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town), The Lepidopterists' Society of Africa (Lepsoc), and the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI). Identification of citizen science records, based on the photos uploaded, is done by a panel of experts in the relevant taxa. The taxonomy is kept up-to-date by the project coordinator. All data, excepting records for sensitive taxa, are available to the public. Records are provided at the recorded precision, usually point coordinates. However, historical records were assigned to a 15x15 minute grid (or QDS) based on the locality description when no coordinates were provided. The coverage is good for South Africa, Lesotho and Eswatini, moderate for Namibia, Botswana, Malawi and Zimbabwe, but very sparse for the rest of Africa.

The South African Ringing Scheme (SAFRING) is based at the University of Cape Town and provides bird ringing services in South Africa and other African countries. This entails providing ringing equipment to qualified ringers, and curating all ringing data. SAFRING communicates with ringers and interested parties through annually publishing one or two issues of a newsletter, Afring News, and by maintaining a list server. SAFRING holds national training courses, annually if there is sufficient demand. SAFRING liaises with the provinces who have the responsibility of issuing permits. SAFRING has a strict code of ethics to ensure the safety of birds handled. SAFRING acknowledges the importance of bird ringing in that it has been described as the most important tool in ornithology in the 20th century.

This data-set comprises validated species occurrence records of the Scorpions of the African continent. It is a collection of data from citizen science contributions. Records range from 2003 to present. ScorpionMAP is a Virtual Museum and citizen science project which aims to determine the distribution and conservation priorities of Scorpions on the African continent. Scorpions are conspicuous and attractive terrestrial animals, and are frequently photographed. Images of all African Scorpions are welcomed and all contribute equally towards a better understanding of the distribution patterns of these fascinating creatures. Scorpions have captivated much interest by scholars by their great antiquity and the amazing suite of biochemical, physiological, behavioural, and ecological adaptations that have combined to ensure their continued success over the past 450 million years. Scorpions have a wide geographical distribution and live on all major land masses except Antarctica. Although some species are quite specific in micro-habitat requirements, many exhibit a high degree of plasticity in habitat use. However, the distribution of most species is poorly known and in most cases it is based on a handful of museum records. Identification of citizen science records, based on the photos uploaded, is done by a panel of experts in the relevant taxa. The taxonomy is kept up-to-date by the project coordinator, a professional arachnologist. All data, excepting records for sensitive taxa, are available to the public. Records are provided at the recorded precision, usually point coordinates. The coverage is moderate for South Africa, but very sparse for the rest of Africa.

This data-set comprises validated species occurrence records of Orchids (Family Orchidaceae) of the African continent. It is a collection of data from citizen science contributions, herbarium records, literature records, personal notes and other unpublished sources. Records range from 1734 to present. Orchids are a charismatic and diverse family of flowering plants. With over 470 species in South Africa alone and more than 3300 species throughout Africa and Madagascar, we have a rich orchid flora. However, in recent years the collection of traditional herbarium specimens has been declining and our understating of where orchids are found is becoming ever more outdated. OrchidMAP aims to reverse this trend with the help of orchid lovers. OrchidMAP is interested in distributions and flowering times of all orchids in Africa, Madagascar and the Western Indian Ocean Islands including naturalized or wild growing exotic species. Identification of citizen science records, based on the photos uploaded, is done by a panel of experts in the relevant taxa. The taxonomy is kept up-to-date by the project coordinator. All data, excepting records for sensitive taxa, are available to the public. Records are provided at the recorded precision, usually point coordinates. The coverage is moderate for South Africa, but very sparse for the rest of Africa.