Grant MacEwan University students will participate in a Summer 2025 project extracting iNaturalist data to integrate it into SAPAA’s operations, emphasizing data management and visualization. The project encourages mentorship and professional networking.

1. Overview of the Program
2. Overview of SAPAA and iNaturalist
   1. FYI – More Background
3. What is the Business Problem/Opportunity?
   1. Background
   2. Business Problem/Opportunity
   3. Scope of the Business Problem
   4. What Will Be Delivered
4. The Ideal Project Team
5. How the Project Will be Run?
6. What is in it for the Project Team?
7. WINL 301 Placement Role Submission

This post’s primary audience are soon to be graduating students from Grant MacEwan University in Edmonton. Grant Mac runs a post-studies placement program in which students work for organizations, which is described below (for the benefit of SAPAA members). The project itself and an overview of SAPAA follows (for the benefit of the students).

The intention is to offer an early-career opportunity the students completing an undergraduate degree in one or more of the following faculties:

• Arts Majors: anthropology, economics, English, history, philosophy, political science, psychology, sociology
• Science Majors: applied statistics, biological sciences, chemistry, computer science, mathematical sciences, mathematics, physical sciences, psychology

Overview of the Program

Grant Mac runs an innovative program that integrates community learning both in the classroom and post-studies. The timing for the upcoming session starts is a May 1 submission and a June 15 start date with completion by August 31. Student(s) work for at least 90 and no more than 120 hours as practicum-volunteers. A demonstration of learning is required.

Overview of SAPAA and iNaturalist

The Stewards of Alberta’s Protected Areas Association (SAPAA) is in many ways the continuation of the legacy Alberta Government Volunteer Stewardship program. A backgrounder is available both for SAPAA and the core subject of the project, iNaturalist as well as optional further reading for additional context.

1. Volunteer Stewardship – Backgrounder | SAPAA
2. What is it · iNaturalist

FYI – More Background

• CBC Story – Volunteer Stewardship Program | SAPAA
• A Short Selected History of SAPAA | SAPAA
• Should I Stay or Should I Go? | SAPAA
• Early History of the Alberta Protected Areas System by Peter Achuf, pp. 3-6.
• Site Inspection Form
• Counting Protected Areas | SAPAA

What is the Business Problem/Opportunity?

Background

SAPAA manages five big blocks of information as shown in the above graphic.

1. Operational data includes finances, membership, documents, website, reports, etc. and is not part of this project.
2. Geo-Legal data is provided by the Alberta Government and describes the parcels.
3. Site inspection data reports on the state of these parcels.
4. iNaturalist acts as the biophysical inventory for the land parcel.
5. Other Content: Images, GIS tracks, videos, etc. are used across the above blocks.

The iNaturalist content is the newcomer to this data set. Historically there has been no systematic way to integrate the respective blocks of data other than through manual processes. The data blocks include both structured and unstructured content. Where content is unstructured (e.g. an image), metadata tagging may be available to assist with attribution to the other data sets (e.g. Image XYZ is tagged with being taken in site ABC and is a picture of DEF).

Business Problem/Opportunity

How can iNaturalist content be extracted, integrated with other data/content, and then best utilized by SAPAA to tell the state of Alberta’s Protected Areas?

Scope of the Business Problem

The Summer 2025 Grant MacEwan project will exclusively focus on extracting iNaturalist data and bringing the data into SAPAA. The iNaturalist data will be treated as a stand-alone data set and not integrated into the other data blocks unless the project team has the capacity to do so.

What Will Be Delivered

The project team will deliver at least a ‘working proof of concept‘ for the iNaturalist data that will include basic documentation to ensure its operation for24 months.

Beyond a data project, the team will provide a methodology to conduct analysis at a macro and micro level. For example, the extent of select invasive species across all or select protected areas, the alignment of observed species and the congruence relative to the natural sub-region (e.g. how, is climate change causing plants to migrate from Parkland to the Boreal Forest).

A critical part of the project will be piloting various data visualization methods both dynamic (on demand) and static (graphics for government reports).

The project will provide recommendations for future development to SAPAA of the iNaturalist data set. The final deliverable is to present findings to a “‘Dragon’s Den” review panel composed of business and technical experts.

The above is the ideal set of deliverables. SAPAA will work with the project to set reasonable expectations to deliver as much of the above as time and capacity allows.

The Ideal Project Team

SAPAA would prefer a small team of students. They will elect a project leader who is the primary point of contact. Ideally, the students will bring the following skill sets to the project, in order of priority:

1. Computer and Data Management. Understanding computer technology, particularly in a Google Workspace context. Good data management skills. Understanding APIs and data integrations.
2. Data Visualization and Reporting. Understanding how to use low code/cost tools to communicate with a variety of audiences ranging from the Minister to a volunteer.
3. Environmental Science. Awareness and the ability to apply environmental concepts to a data environment to produce credible and valid Citizen Science results.
4. Public and Political Science. Understanding of how to influence public policy, in context of environmental issues, through the use of data and Citizen Science.

The above skills may reside in one or more individuals.

How the Project Will be Run?

The student project team will form a temporary consulting company that will elect their own Project Manager. A modified agile project methodology will be used in which five two-week sprints will be undertaken to achieve the deliverables.

The team will meet internally through communication venues of their choice and at least bi-weekly with the project sponsor.

What is in it for the Project Team?

1. Consulting Engagement. The project will be run as a consulting engagement.
2. Mentors. SAPAA is lining up experts in computer technology, iNaturalist, environment science, and public policy. Beyond this project, this allows the students to start to build their professional networks.
3. Dragon’s Den. Assuming there is a viable product, presenting to the Dragon’s Den forces the students to justify their decisions to industry representatives.
4. Field Trip. As schedules permit, students will go into the field to visit protected area(s) to understand the realities on the ground.

WINL 301 Placement Role Submission

The following is the submission to WINL 301 Faculty of Arts & Science Placement Program.

• Name: Frank Potter, President SAPAA, Supervisor
• Role Title: Working Proof of Concept – iNaturalist Data Systems
• Role Description: A multi-discipline team of 2-4 students will create a working proof of concept (PoC) data extract from iNaturalist of Natural Area observations of interest to SAPAA. The PoC will demonstrate the feasibility of both extracting and visualizing data to support volunteer, organizational, and public policy objectives. The team must have strong computer science and data management skills and ideally has biological and public policy capabilities. The students will be mentored by a multi-disciplined advisors and must present to a “Dragon’s Den” style panel the results of their efforts.
• These positions are remote and highly flexible depending on student availability.
• This form was created inside of MacEwan University.
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