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DigiVol Volunteers - Virtual role

Australian Museum
Logo for Australian Museum

Would you like to:

  • Delve into never-seen-before natural history collections of the Australian Museum and many other institutions around the world?
  • Turn handwritten notes into a digital form so that they can be shared and analysed?
  • Help identify animals and their behaviour in photographs taken by camera traps?
  • Join scientific expeditions and travel the world without leaving your home?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, DigiVol needs you! DigiVol is a crowdsourcing platform that was developed by the Australian Museum in collaboration with the Atlas of Living Australia. DigiVol is used by many institutions around the world as a way of combining the efforts of many volunteers to digitise their data.

DigiVol volunteers transcribe specimen labels, diaries and fieldnotes to transform this data into a digital form so that it can be shared online. DigiVol volunteers also help to process thousands of photographs of animals which have been captured by camera traps. The data has many uses, but most importantly it can help scientists and planners better understand, utilise, manage and conserve our precious biodiversity.

DigiVol volunteers can choose from a large variety of expeditions posted by various institutions around the world such as the Australian Museum, the New York Botanical Garden, the Royal Botanic Garden Kew, just to name a few. The expeditions change daily, and you are sure to find something to suit your interest and level of experience.

DigiVol volunteers will need their own computer and internet access. Depending on the expedition you choose, volunteers require good written English and the ability to read various styles of handwriting. While our younger volunteers prefer to focus on the camera trap expeditions. No prior experience is necessary. All training is provided via our online tutorials.

Here is what some of our DigiVol volunteers say:

"Being able to do transcriptions at any hour of the day or night, no matter how bad the weather might be outside, no matter if you are sick or well, and not having to drive anywhere, is wonderful. Thanks, DigiVol team!"

"DigiVol has given me a sense of achievement and worth. Not only am I giving back to the community, but I have increased my botanical, geographical and political knowledge immensely."

"As a retired biologist I enjoy being part of, in a small way, contemporary scientific studies. The work is interesting, and I love that I can do it from home, in my own time."