BarszczAlert – a social data collection campaign

As part of the project “Protecting the biodiversity of cross-border territories of Ukraine and Poland from invasive hogweed (Heracleum) populations“, the BarszczAlert web application was created to support the collection of information on the occurrence of Sosnowsky’s hogweed. The tool was designed to quickly and conveniently report locations of this dangerous invasive species. The project is being implemented under the Interreg NEXT Poland-Ukraine 2021-2027 program, co-financed by the European Union.

BarszczAlert is a social application, a tool that leverages the involvement of multiple users to collect data collaboratively. People in the field can use the application to report the occurrence of Sosnowsky’s hogweed. User reports will enable the creation and ongoing updating of a map of hogweed occurrence.

We encourage all residents, tourists, farmers, local governments, and people in the field to use the application and report locations of Sosnowsky’s hogweed. Each report can help us more effectively monitor and plan actions to limit its spread to protect people and the environment.

The app allows users to add the plant’s GPS location, photos, and additional information, including population size and area occupied. The collected data will help create an up-to-date map of the Sosnowsky hogweed’s spread and support efforts to control, contain, and eradicate it.

The app is free and requires access to geolocation, which allows for automatic determination of the coordinates of the reported location.

A Facebook page has also been created for the app, BarszczAlert, where information, updates, and announcements related to Sosnowsky hogweed monitoring will be posted. You can also find instructional videos there.

Join the monitoring effort – report a hogweed location and help protect local wildlife and the safety of residents. Remember: Sosnowsky hogweed is a plant hazardous to health. Do not touch the plant and only take photographic documentation from a safe distance.

Links:

♦ App: BarszczAlert

♦ Facebook profile of the app: BarszczAlert

♦ Project website: Zero Heracleum