Presentation delivered by Janice Ansine, Open University, as part of the Delegate Showcase session at Communicate 2012: Breaking Boundaries

1. Reaching the public through
Janice Ansine
Biodiversity Observatory Project Manager
The Open University

2. iSpot.org.uk

3. Why iSpot?:
• Millions are interested in nature
• They watch BBC / OU nature programmes
• How can we help them become more involved, engaged and learn
more?
• The hook is to use the thrill of observing nature & the sense of
achievement you get when you can identify it
iSpot aims to:
• Lower barriers to ID
• Make nature open to all: its for everyone, ages 7 – 107
• Create a new generation of naturalists

4. Reaching the public
Media & communications: the mass audience
Saving Species on Radio 4
OU’s Open Learn
National
Geographic

5. Reaching the public
Public Outreach Programme: iSpot Biodiversity Mentors
How do we do it?
• Regional programmes of work
• Disseminate promotional material, resources, etc
• Sustainable links and contacts with local partners
• Exhibitions, activities, events, bioblitzes, etc
• Offer practical experiences with nature (e.g. nature
walks, bug hunts, bat walks, pond dipping
rockpooling , surveys, etc)
• Targeting ‘hard to reach’ groups

6. Experiences with nature
working with partners
Identifying trees in the parks with
participants of The Walk on the
Activities working with Wildside Project, Nottingham,
Cornwall Gemma – East Midlands
Neighbourhoods for
Change (CN4C)
Trudy – South West
Derwent Valley
Bioblitz,
Keith – North

7. Experiences with nature
Resources: OPAL Biodiversity
Survey

8. Success stories: Impact
Practical, hands on activities
Snorkel Day with Oasis
Group (children with special
needs) Trudy – South West
OPAL Water
Survey with
students from
The Special Needs Centre, Kingston
Maurwood Agricultural College, Bob -
South

9. Success Stories: Impact
Joining up the Environment and Technology project, Keith – North
- A Case Study In Using iSpot to Connect New Audiences to the Environment and Biodiversity

10. Public Outreach Impact
• Mentors have reached close to 80,000
people across the UK (16% are from groups
deemed hard to reach)
• In 2011 alone we reached almost 20,000
people of which, over 7,000 (37 %) were
hard to reach

11. Impact: iSpot users
iSpot user observations by postcode
User data mapped against postcodes show a larger percentage of observations
posted in regions with high Mentor activity.
2010 2011

12. Thank you!
iSpot Biodiversity Mentors
Keith Bowey Colin Higgins Stacey Cougill Rachael Rhodes
- North - South East - London - North West
Rob Coleman
- East of England
Graham Banwell
- Yorkshire
Katie Hadwin
- East Midlands
Trudy Russell Bob Ford Gemma Gregory Manga Waggott Sara Bellis
- South West - South - East Midlands - London (BAME) - West Midlands
Janice Ansine
j.ansine@open.ac.uk