17/04/2026
Want to help a wombat? š¾
Citizen science is science led by the public. Scientists canāt be everywhere all at once, as much as theyād like to, which is why citizen science is important.
It even helps our furry friends, which is where Womsat - Wombat Survey and Analysis Tools comes in. Started in 2015, WomSAT is a citizen science program that allows the public, researchers and wildlife carers to record evidence of wombats across Australia. It collects real-time data on wombat sightings, the location of their burrows, and whether they appear to be affected by mange.
Thereās a need to understand more about wombats and where they live, so that we can manage threats, including collisions with vehicles and habitat loss.
Wildlife carers also use WomSAT to track the treatment of sarcoptic mange, a devastating disease that can result in aggressive scratching, open wounds, and in severe cases, death.
WomSAT is an ongoing project that anyone can contribute to by logging sightings of wombats. Just check the comments for the link!
And the animal sightings don't stop there: The Atlas of Living Australia (ALA) is Australia's national biodiversity data infrastructure, home to over 160 million records of species from across the country. Observations like these contribute to that growing dataset, used by researchers and decision makers nationwide.
One of the easiest ways to contribute is to download one of the many citizen science apps that feed into the ALA. Thatās it! You donāt need any other special equipment or expert knowledge to get involved.
