WORKSHOP
PRESENTATION
W02 CyberTracker: A Data Collection Tool for Trackers, Ecologists,
and Wildlife Biologists
W02-01 YOUNG, JON, and Jonathan Poppele. OWLink Media, #150, 80 North Cabrillo Highway, Suite Q, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019, USA (Attn: CyberTracker Shikari) (info@shikari.org) (JY); Conservation Biology Graduate Program, University of Minnesota, 100 Ecology, 1987 Upper Buford Circle, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA (JP).
CYBERTRACKER DATA COLLECTION TOOL
CyberTracker is a "greenware" field data collection system designed for a Palm handheld computer and GPS. It is considered by many researchers to be the most efficient way for field observers to gather large quantities of highly detailed data. CyberTracker uses icon based data entry for rapid recording of observations. The icon based interface is very intuitive and can reduce or eliminate language and terminology barriers between data collectors and researchers. Each data entry is stamped with date, time, and GPS coordinates. Upon returning from the field, data are downloaded directly to a PC where they can be viewed immediately in CyberTracker, or exported in many common formats, including Excel spreadsheets and ArcView shapefiles. The sequence of screens and prompts in CyberTracker is customizable, allowing the program to be used for a wide range of applications. CyberTracker is being successfully used for wildlife surveys, ground-truthing of remote sensing data, and even social science research. It is being used by scientists, students at all levels, citizen volunteers, and amateur naturalists. Originally designed by Louis Liebenberg for use by illiterate Bushman trackers in the Kalahari, CyberTracker has proven its worth as a tool for engaging local communities in science and conservation.