The Tracks App

The Tracks App, by Indigenous rangers to collect animal track and sign data

The Tracks App is a sophisticated data collection tool developed for the Indigenous Desert Alliance (IDA) to support the use and maintenance of Indigenous tracking skills and animal knowledge. Indigenous Rangers use these skills to identify animals from their tracks and other signs, record their continued presence and to manage country.

Registration: To register to use the app please contact http://indigenousdesertalliance.com/. At first only Indigenous ranger groups will be able to use the app, however the IDA would like to assist other groups to use it if resources allow.

The Tracks App collects information on tracks and other sign (scats, diggings, burrows, bones, and feathers). Information will be used to map the country where native animals are found. With lots of Indigenous Ranger groups in remote areas, we will be able to get a picture of what is happening across Australia. Distribution mapping helps us to understand if animals are leaving country or coming back to country. Information on the type of country, fire, animal food plants, feral predators such as cats and foxes, and feral herbivores such as camels, donkeys, and rabbits may help us to understand why native animals are leaving country.

New trackers should practice track identification and tracking before collecting data in The Tracks App and expert trackers sought out to provide training. Training materials are available in the resources section of The Tracks Hub.

Information collected in The Tracks App may be made available to the public, but project teams maintain ownership of the data and must be acknowledged for their collection work. The public will not be able to access accurate location data of sensitive/threatened species without permission. By sharing this information the public will learn more about animals found in remote Australia and the skills and knowledge of Indigenous people. Researchers may use the information to study different animals and how they are affected by change, e.g. climate, fire, weeds, and feral animals.