Chronolog Project
What is the Chronolog Project?Here at Lacawac Sanctuary, we are participating in a global project known as Chronolog in an effort to create time lapse records of environmental change through the power of citizen science. Chronolog stations are found in many natural areas where visitors can capture an image of the surrounding environment. That image is then automatically added to photographs taken by other visitors from the site to create a visual record of environmental change. These time lapses are important because they help scientists identify gradual but important changes in ecosystems such as shifts in species composition or the timing of season changes. The hope for this project is to not only give the public an opportunity to get involved in scientific projects, but also help the scientific community manage long term projects at lower costs.
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How can you get involved?Projects such as the Chronolog project are helpful in that they allow scientists to monitor many areas across the globe with the help of citizen science. By placing stations across the globe, citizens may help contribute the data needed to analyze changes in many natural areas. Participation in the Chronolog Project here at Lacawac is simple! There are two Chronolog sites at Lacawac: one located on the Boardwalk overlooking Lake Lacawac (accessible via the Lake Lacawac Trail) and one located along the Big Lake Trail overlooking a plot of recently planted hardwood saplings. At each station there is a plastic bracket where your phone is placed to snap a photograph. You then email the photograph to the address posted on the sign with the unique code identifying that location. Once your personal photograph is submitted you will receive a link via email of access to the time lapse that already exists of your site. This will allow you to understand the changes your site is experiencing. The process takes minutes and adding more photos creates a more complete time lapse – so take a photo each time you pass by a bracket!
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