New app wants Manitobans to go wild for science

 A new Manitoba app gives citizens the power to help record and track flora and fauna across the province.

The free Go Wild Manitoba! app launched earlier this summer and so far it's been flooded with posts about everything from birds to plants, snakes and turtles, and even a polar bear sighting.

The app is funded in part by the province and will help conservation workers and scientists monitor a vast range of species across Manitoba.

"This is a great opportunity for Manitobans to get out and experience nature and a way that they can share what they see," said Nicole Firlotte, manager of the biodiversity, habitat and endangered species with the Department of Sustainable Development.

"We look at the information and if it's a species that we're interested in, we can use that.… We're interested in cool things as well," she said.

Users can post both animals and plants they recognize and ask the naturalist community for help in identifying species, she said.

"This is a great way for just the average person, who thinks they've seen something cool, can use the app and be exposed to the whole naturalist network," said Firlotte.

iNaturalist.ca and NatureServe are both sponsors of the app and experts are frequently checking and responding to posts by novices.

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