Established in 1971, Earthwatch is a leading international not-for-profit
environmental research organisation committed to promoting the understanding and action necessary for a sustainable environment.
At the core of Earthwatch's work is our scientific research program. Our research is prioritised into four key areas; climate change, oceans, cultural heritage and ecosystem services. These areas address what we believe are the biggest challenges facing our environment but also present the greatest opportunity for unearthing sustainable solutions.
Conservation research requires large amounts of data to be collected in order to accurately identify problems and find effective solutions. However, it is often difficult for small research teams to collect all the data they need. Earthwatch helps address this problem by giving people from all walks of life the chance to work as field assistants, helping researchers collect the large amounts of data needed to address problems in our environment.
Large scale data gathering has been identified as a high priority if we are to understand, predict and minimise the effects of climate change on biodiversity. This is particularly important in Australia where the combination of unique flora and fauna occupying a low lying, fragmented landscape could result in extinction rates up to 50% due to climate change in some areas.
The scale of the data collection task required suggests that success is only possible through multi-sector input and an approach that engages the community in the scientific process.
In response to this challenge, Earthwatch Australia, along with its partners, corporate supporters and delivery partners, developed ClimateWatch to tap into the vast potential reservoir of assistance available from the general public.