Bugs Matter App Goes Global Thanks To AWS IMAGINE Grant
Natural Apptitude is proud to have developed the Bugs Matter app, which is now set to make a global impact in the fight against insect decline! This exciting development is thanks to Kent Wildlife Trust, in collaboration with Buglife, being selected as a winner of the 2024 Amazon Web Services (AWS) IMAGINE Grant. Kent Wildlife Trust was named a winner in the Go Further, Faster category, which recognises highly innovative projects using advanced cloud services.
Thanks to the grant, new and existing partnerships will be developed to support launches in the US, Australia, France, the Netherlands and the Republic of Ireland.
Developed by the team at Natural Apptitude, the Bugs Matter app makes it easy for citizen scientists to contribute to vital research on insect populations. Participants simply count the bug splats on their vehicle number plate at the end of each journey and log their findings on the app. This data is then analysed by experts and used to inform conservation efforts, policy, and practice.
The Bugs Matter survey is unique in being the only existing method that can provide data on flying insect abundance from multiple years, over long time periods, and over large spatial scales.
"Since its launch, the survey user base has grown significantly in the UK and now, thanks to generous funding from AWS IMAGINE Grant, the app will now be rolled out to a global audience creating international data to help conservationists fight insect declines.” Dr Lawrence Ball, Kent Wildlife Trust.
"We're absolutely thrilled that the Bugs Matter app is going global," says Dave Kilbey, CEO of Natural Apptitude. "This is a testament to the power of citizen science and the dedication of our partners at Kent Wildlife Trust and Buglife. We're incredibly proud to have developed the technology that is enabling this vital research on insect populations worldwide. We believe this expansion will significantly contribute to understanding and addressing the urgent issue of insect decline on a global scale."
To find out more about Bugs Matter and how to get involved next survey season, watch the Bugs Matter video and visit the Buglife website.