One step at a time. Step 1:
Footzoom is being initiated to encourage people to observe what is around them while using human-powered transport to arrive at that observation. The forms of human-powered transport to consider but are not limited to are walking, running, swimming, skating, skiing, sailing, rowing, paddling, bicycling, skateboarding, and any similar combination you enjoy. The forms of travel not to include are electric and hydrocarbon powered (such as natural gas, petroleum, and coal) motors/engines/turbines. Access modes for those limited as the result of illness, injury, and/or challenges are okay (for instance electric wheelchairs).
This could mean just stepping out of your door and recordings things in your neighbourhood. You could observe just the once or repeat tomorrow and the next. Observations may be as a result of walking down to the beach and going for a sail, paddle or swim. Maybe you went on a 10-day bike ride and observations are the result of that journey. Maybe you snowshoed, skated, or Nordic skied somewhere -as long as you did not arrive close to this destination by car and then snowshoed, skated, or Nordic skied the rest of the way and then returned home again by car.
Looking forward to seeing observations and species varieties rise.
Everyone is welcome. Enjoy yourselves.
Comments
Nice project banner. My husband likes your Voigtlander camera.
Thank you @botanicaltreasures . And I'm glad your husband recognized the camera. Thought I would represent basics, my first camera, my binocs that were core for almost 30 years, same with the hat, and my wife's shoes because I would not have gotten anywhere without those.
Yes, you captured the essentials of a lifetime exploring the outdoors.
This is a nice idea for a project. iNaturalist and feet are a great combination.
Over 90% of my observations will be on foot or bike from my home, but it's a bit tedious to go back through them all and add them here. I've added a small selected of recent observations to add a New Zealand flavour to the project.
I'm curious why you're restricting this to verifiable observations only, which in iNat lingo excludes captive and cultivated species. For example, I like to record the fruiting and flowering times of plants in my neighbourhood but many of them are planted and so not "verifiable" on iNat.
@jon_sullivan thank you for adding to the observations. As for the verifiable, at this moment I have to search my thoughts to figure out the reason behind that choice, but absolutely I see your point. I will get back to this. Best regards. Bob
@jon_sullivan I am going to remove verifiable for now because filters can be used to sift this from observations when using explore.
This is what birders have been doing for many years under the heading of "Green Birding" ... check it out.
@inspector_crow I am aware of that. You pointed that out on the iNat forum on April 25th https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/backyard-front-porch-side-lot-courtyard-nearby-greenspace-observations/11679/12
Of the current 4,603 species on June 7, 2020 with 38 observers worldwide, sharing 27,653 observations, we have an impressive diversity beyond just birds:
Unknown - .04%
Protozoans - .17%
Fungi - 6.65%
Plants - 30.98%
Chromista - .02%
Mollusks - .94%
Insects - 40.77%
Arachnids - 5.65%
Ray-Finned Fish - .20%
Amphibians - .52%
Reptiles - .94%
Birds - 10.51%
Mammals - 1.44%
Other Animals - 1.59%
@bobmcd - This is a good idea and going beyond Green Birding is an important step. I have a question though, probably the majority of my iNat records qualify for inclusion but I would welcome some instructions on how to (a) link existing records to this project and (b) ensure that future records are similarly linked. Can you give a brief how to do it please? Thanks.
Please see tutorial if you need some help adding to the project.
https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/adding-observations-to-a-traditional-project-wiki/13190
Nice project, found it because of a forum post today and joined.
@richyfourtytwo I had noticed that. Thanks for joining. I look forward to you additions - looks like you figured out how to add to it easily enough.
I have a question re: the project. When you say it is for observations reached by footpower, does that include walking AFTER driving?
i.e, I drive from home to my workplace, but then I walk the trails of a state park near work on my lunchbreak. Would observations made when walking in the park be considered Footzoom , or not (because that argument that I walked after driving could apply to any observation except those made from in cars/on boats/etc)?
@star3 Good question. The first sentence in the project "About" states"Using human-powered transport from one's primary residence to arrive at and record an observation is the purpose of this Project." So the answer is no. Walking after driving to your observation does not meet the criteria. This includes going for a walk from work at lunch if you arrived at work by forms of travel that are electric and hydrocarbon powered (such as natural gas, petroleum, and coal) motors/ engines/ turbines. If you arrived at work by bicycle (not electric assist) then fine. I have many observations that I cannot use because of this. The limitation of only human-powered transport does encourage me to walk or ride my bike to get to places to make observations. I live on an Island so, unless I catch a sailboat to the mainland, I am pretty limited on the reach of my observations. My wife and I did ride our bicycles across Canada and have plans next week to canoe a 120km circuit so I know how far one can reach for observations by only human-powered transport. I am currently scheming on how to get a sailboat to get me to the mainland.
Yep, I noticed the "primary residence" part AFTER I'd posted the comment. :D
All good. As I said, it was a good question.
The "primary residence" allows for some movement such as the instance of students needing to move to another town.
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