By Shawndra Miller, communications manager, Central Indiana Land Trust
Want to help document changes in the natural world in real-time? Chronolog, a nationwide citizen science project, has a new site along the White River in Indy. And all that’s needed to participate is a smartphone.
At Oliver’s Woods Nature Preserve, you can set your smartphone on a stand and snap a photo of Carmel Creek, which flows into the White River. Then simply email the shot to Chronolog – no app or account needed. The platform uploads the photo to a timelapse view of the creek.
Oliver’s Woods is one of more than 200 such locations across the country, all viewable from a map at Chronolog.io.
The goal of the initiative is to boost people’s interaction with nature, while also tracking changes in the environment. Crowd-sourcing these observations allows more people to take part in important conservation work.
In the case of Carmel Creek, the land trust is monitoring changes due to erosion, sedimentation, and other factors. Efforts to restore its banks and surrounding floodplain are ongoing. Many volunteers have helped build trails, plant native plants and trees, and remove invasive plants from the preserve. Each summer the stewardship team hosts a volunteer workday to clean up the creek, addressing invasive species along its banks.
Oliver’s Woods is a 54-acre wooded preserve in the heart of the Keystone at the Crossing area, with a canoe launch, hiking trails, and a mile of White River frontage. The southern half of the popular Town Run Trail Park is encompassed within this property. Find it at 8825 River Road, and be sure to stop at the Chronolog station to snap your photo!
Headquartered on The Old Northside, the Central Indiana Land Trust stewards nature preserves throughout the central third of the state. Find a nature preserve and plan your visit at conservingindiana.org .
PHOTO ABOVE: Carmel Creek is being monitored for changes due to erosion, sedimentation and other factors.
