Biological Monitoring

Monitoring biodiversity means regularly recording the plants, animals, and habitats around us. It helps us understand how nature is changing — whether conditions are improving or declining — and allows us to respond early to threats such as pollution, invasive species, and climate impacts.

Monitoring also shows whether conservation actions are working. In short, it provides the evidence needed to make good decisions and take effective action to protect wildlife and the ecosystems they depend on.

Biological monitoring can be done in many ways — from professional scientific surveys to community projects and citizen science, where local people help gather valuable information about their environment.

Citizen science on Montserrat

Around the world, community members can help fill data gaps in biodiversity monitoring, even without formal training. This information is extremely valuable for conservation planning and for measuring change over time.

On Montserrat, the Montserrat National Trust and partners have been developing the use of citizen science tools to support conservation and education. Two key examples are:

• iNaturalist
• Flower-Insect Timed Counts (FIT Counts)

iNaturalist

iNaturalist is one of the world’s most widely used platforms for recording wildlife observations. It is free to use and open to everyone.

You can record almost any organism by uploading a photo and adding an identification to whatever level you feel comfortable — for example, “bird”, “bee”, or a specific species such as the Montserrat oriole. Your observation can then be improved and confirmed by the online community. Verified records become part of a global biodiversity dataset, helping everyone learn more about nature.

There is also a dedicated iNaturalist page for Montserrat called “Biodiversity of Montserrat”. All observations made on Montserrat are linked to this page, helping build a growing record of the island’s biodiversity.

Getting started with iNaturalist (step-by-step)

1. Register for an iNaturalist account at www.inaturalist.org
   (It is often easier to register first on a laptop/PC and then use the mobile app outdoors.)
2. Open the iNaturalist app on your smartphone.
3. Tap the camera icon.
4. Take a photo (or select one from your photo library, or make a text-only observation).
5. Add any details you want, including:
   • where you observed the organism
   • habitat or behaviour notes
   • a rough identification, if you know it
6. Set the location to Montserrat (this links your observation to the Montserrat biodiversity page).
7. If the organism is planted (e.g., a garden plant), choose Cultivated = YES.
8. Tap Save.
9. Tap Upload.

Seek by iNaturalist

For a simpler version suitable for all ages, you can also use Seek by iNaturalist:
👉 https://www.inaturalist.org/pages/seek_app

Flower-Insect Timed Count (FIT Count)

FIT Count (Flower-Insect Timed Count) is a simple 10-minute survey. You watch a small patch of flowers and record the insects that visit. It is designed for anyone to do and helps track how pollinators such as bees, butterflies, flies, and wasps are doing over time.

This matters because pollinators play a key role in food production and healthy ecosystems. By taking part, you help researchers understand long-term changes in insect numbers and support efforts to protect these vital species.

Step-by-step guide to using the FIT Count app

1. Download the FIT Count app (App Store / Google Play).
2. Set up your account
   • Open the app and register with your name and email address.
   • Choose your location (for mapping).
3. Prepare for the survey
   • Weather: it should be dry, with low wind.
   • Timing: early morning or late afternoon is often best (not too hot).
   • Location: choose a 50 × 50 cm patch of flowers.
   • Target flower: select a flower from the FIT Count target list (or choose “Other”).
4. Conduct the 10-minute count
   • Start the timer in the app.
   • Record all insects visiting the target flowers.
   • Identify insects into broad groups (e.g. bee, fly, butterfly).
   • Avoid counting insects on non-target flowers.
5. Record conditions
   • sky conditions (clear / partly cloudy / overcast)
   • wind strength (calm / breezy / windy)
   • habitat type (garden / forest edge / meadow / etc.)
6. Save and submit
   • Save your observations in the app.
   • Upload immediately if you have internet, or save for later upload.