About

No camera is left in the field. Instead, a printed photo of each scene is displayed on the sign attached to each eponymously named Fluker Post. This shows people what to take a photo of. Written instructions on the sign then ask the person to use the Fluker Post app. When they do, a semi transparent overlay appears on the phones viewfinder. This allows the person taking the photo to perfectly align their photo with other photos in the collection. The app then automatically uploads the new photo in chronological order within that collection.

We get photographs sent in from various types of cameras (iPhones, compact digitals, SLR's, etc.), and while the images may reflect slightly different views of the scene created by different focal lengths, different times of the day etc., they provide valuable information on the environment.

We have been recording environmental change since 2008. These collections provide valuable long term information on the changing environment

The Fluker Post project was started in May 2008. The Fluker Post Research Project is operated as a research project through Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia. The types of research questions we are seeking to find answers to include:

• How can we build a tool that allows land managers to detect change and make management decisions that result in sustainability gains?
• How does longitudinal community-based environmental monitoring align with non-citizen science methods of environmental monitoring?
• How can community-based environmental monitoring be used in a classroom situation?
• How can the concept of citizen science be effectively employed to create historical records of changes occurring at natural environments?
• How can we track the long term environmental changes caused by such affects as climate change, usage, precipitation, and the spread of disease?
• How do users of public spaces relate to the environments they are experiencing?
• How do methods of repair or modification of natural environments last over time?

This project has engaged with the following industry, local government, land management agency and educational partners:

• Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP)
• Melbourne Water
• Parks Victoria
• Corangamite Catchment Management Authority
• North Central Catchment Management Authority
• North East Catchment Management Authority
• East Gippsland Catchment Management Authority
• West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority
• Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority
• Glenelg Hopkins Catchment Management Authority
• Mallee Catchment Management Authority
• Wimmera Catchment Management Authority
• Bellarine Bayside Coastal Management
• Bellarine Catchment Network
• Bellarine Landcare Group
• Swan Bay Environment Association
• City of Greater Geelong
• Warrnambool City Council
• Borough of Queenscliffe
• Bayside Council
• Friends of the Melton Botanic Garden
• Friends of Sandringham Beach
• Deakin University
• Monash University
• RMIT University
• University of South Australia
• New Jersey Army National Guard
• Cardno
• Warrnambool East Primary School
• Derrimut Primary School
• Clifton Springs Primary School

And nearly 3,000 community volunteers who have taken photos from Fluker Posts and sent them in.

The efforts of all these partners are hugely appreciated. Many thanks :)

Recent Fluker Post related publications

Lynch, J., Eilam, E., Fluker, M., & Augar, N., 2016, "Community-based environmental monitoring goes to school: translations, detours and escapes," Environmental Education Research
www.tandfonline.com

Augar, N., and Fluker, M., 2014, "Towards Understanding User Perceptions of a Tourist-based Environmental Monitoring System: An Exploratory Case Study," Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research
www.tandfonline.com

Augar, N., & Fluker, M., 2014, "Developing social media for community based environmental monitoring," Proceedings of the 25th Australasian Conference on Information Systems, ACIS

Feedback from Land Managers

When surveyed about the value of the Fluker Post project, here is what some of the land managers involved have said:

"We were looking for a heightened way of engaging the community. I actually thought this would be a good mechanism that not only engages them and brings them along but also empowers them to feel a sense of ownership and involvement in managing the environment"

"It's an opportunity to bring the community along in an even stronger way given that they’ve been part of that program to various measures on community working bees. This also makes a stronger connection, ownership, etc., with the site as well and people feel like they may be contributing"

"What we were hoping for, when we put the photo point posts in, was to get some valuable monitoring data of how these sites have progressed over time. Often, what really tells a story are visual tools"

The Fluker Post project welcomes collaborations with academics from a range of disciplines. If you would like to be involved, please email Martin.Fluker@vu.edu.au

Fluker Post in the media

Channel 10, "Scope" Fluker Post story, 26 September, 2013
www.youtube.com/watch

Herald Sun Fluker Post story, 27 September, 2013
www.heraldsun.com.au/news

ECOS, CSIRO Fluker Post story, 21 January, 2013
www.ecosmagazine.com

Conservation, Fluker Post story, 10 June, 2013
www.conservationmagazine.org

The Warrnambool Standard, Fluker Post story, 16 July, 2013
www.standard.net.au/story

The Surf Coast Times, Fluker Post story, 5 April, 2013

3AW, Melbourne, Fluker Post Story, 27 September, 2013