Happy milestones during the PenguinWatch Project
-
by AvastMH moderator
Happy First Anniversary PenguinWatch! 17th September 2015.
Thank you to Tom and Caitlin, the intrepid scientists, for running this project. You're probably packing your bags for the next season of work 'down South' just now. It's been a great year for us helping out!
In the last year we've managed to sort out 2581294 images. 'We' are 21318 volunteers in total! Coldcounter worked out that: Presuming you average two minutes per image and with 2573959 images done is the equivalent of 5147918 minutes spent on PW β¦. that is 85798 hours (rounded off!); which is 10725 days (if you work an eight hour day!) which is 41 years work for an individual (if they have weekends off to go and identify plankton !) Thatβs one scientist lifetime of work.
The PenguinWatch community is very diverse, and much enjoyed. And it's wonderful to share our volunteers with so many other Zooniverses -especially PlanktonPortal.
We've put some images together including real artwork by Yshish and Annika, and messages and poems to celebrate PenguinWatch Year1. We hope you enjoy them. Many thanks to the contributors who were: bienle123; coldcounter; gardenmaeve; GizmoMischief; Motherjoanne; Nthrockmorton; Stinu; Whereizmom; Wildmonster; Yshish; Zilli (I hope I haven't forgotten anyone!)
The pictures are left to right:
Top Row - Celebrating the family eggs on Egg_Rock; Maestro Pingo conducting the Antarctic Youth Choir with its special Soloist Agatha Peng; Egg turning at midnight; Macronies in snow
Second row: Scientist walked here; Gentoo family; A penguin with a nice orange beak and feet; Magellanic Waldo getting the place ready for the Rockhoppers to arrive
Third row: Ah - the RIGHT footprints π ; Planting the penguins again; 'When I nursed baby penguins'; A nice peaceful morning on The_Rock
Bottom row: Stunning sunrise at The_Rock; Dance for joy and because you can; Not everyone on show is a penguin!
Posted
-
by caitlin.black moderator, scientist, admin
To our dedicated volunteers,
A HUGE thank you to all of our volunteers and discussion moderators for making our first year so successful! As @AvastMH's beautiful statistics show, it would have taken our team a lifetime of work to accomplish what we have collectively done in just one year!
We are busy writing scientific papers based on findings resulting from the website and your volunteer efforts, which would not have been possible without your help.
We are also heading back into the field in just one month, so there will be more pictures to come when we are back from fieldwork in March, 2016. In the meantime, there are plenty more images that need your help- so do not fear if you, like @coldcounter and our science team, are addicted to counting penguins.
Again, a HUGE thank you for such a wonderful year!
Cheers to many more years to come!
The Science Team
Posted
-
by coldcounter
Congrats all .....
and those who found time to draw something ... (sigh) .. (if only ....) what has been brought together by our dedicated moderators reflects what a supportive, enthusiastic and caring group of volunteers PW is. Happy birthday to all concerned with PW ..... and Tom and Caitlin .... we are really hanging out for those new pictures !!!!. π π
Here's to doing the work of two lifetimes next year !!!
coldcounter
Posted
-
by Zilli translator
Congratulations to all, and kudos to you, AvastMH, for your beautiful and humorous assembly of pictures and comments! Good luck to the scientists for their next expedition! And when there, please, could you adjust the camera at "Nessieline" a little bit, so that the ocean isn't leaking out on the right side of my monitor? π . Thanks and many pebbles!
Zilli
Posted
-
by gardenmaeve moderator
Dear Caitlin,
Thank you very much for taking time to write on behalf of the Science Team. We all feel fortunate to be part of this project. I am continually amazed at the drive and devotion of the volunteer counters and by the sheer beauty of the photos. I'm with Zilli on the crooked camera- makes me feel seasick π.In gratitude,
gardenmaevePosted
-
by gardenmaeve moderator
Thank you to AvastMH for making such an interesting and well-placed display of creativity and reflections by all who contributed from many places in the world. I loved the thoughtful comments, the favourite photos, the beautiful, original artwork by Annika and our wonderful yshish, and laughed out loud reading coldcounter's account of PCA (penguin counting addiction π ).
Happy counting to all, and keep those questions, observations, and creative offerings coming.
gardenmaeve
Posted
-
by yshish moderator, translator
Great, guys! Thank you so so much for participating, and to @AvastMH for her time and for her ideas how to put that all together!
I'm so happy to have you all here π You're awesome!!
Best, Zuzi
Posted
-
by AvastMH moderator
Penguin Awareness Day 20th January 2016
I feel a bit silly not knowing this until today, but it is Penguin Awareness day today. I suspect that we are all aware of penguins, penguin chicks, penguin eggs, penguin pebbles and so on. Lucky us! π
April 25th will be World Penguin Day π
Happy pebbles to you all,
Joan (AvastMH)
Posted
-
by gardenmaeve moderator
Who knew?? π
Some good photos here: Penguin Awareness DayPosted
-
by AvastMH moderator
Wonderful photos @gardenmaeve. I loved the 5 lane highway picture especially π
Posted
-
by gardenmaeve moderator
I thought you might, @AvastMH. The open jaw, full frontal penguin view was familiar, @yshish!
Posted
-
by AvastMH moderator
That view still alarms me! π
Posted
-
by yshish moderator, translator
Haha.. great snapshots! Thanks for posting @gardenmaeve π
Posted
-
by yshish moderator, translator
Oops! Yesterday, Penguin Watch had its 2nd anniversary (and we missed that)!
Anyway, here's our quick thank-you-art for you because there's never enough of that! π
Your Penguin Watch team
Posted
-
by AvastMH moderator
How did I forget that? Too busy clicking penguins I guess π π π
Love your penguin art 'thank you' yshish π
And I absolutely agree with saying to all of our volunteers 'You are awesome'. They are wonderful and make such brilliant science for the scientists.
Well done volunteers π
Posted
-
by grannieannie
Congratulations PW - Happy 2nd birthday
Posted
-
by gardenmaeve moderator
Thank you faithful volunteers!
Posted
-
by coldcounter
I seems that my addiction has really taken hold,
because I missed our birthday β now weβre two years old.
How could I have forgotten that?
How did I miss that day?
Was I marking penguins in our special way?
Thatβs my excuse, I was here, chasing down that light
and sorting out the birds still refusing to take flight.
In two years weβve seen many things
in the images presented.
Life and death, joy and grief and lighting unexpected.
Thereβs much to learn, thereβs more to do
Weβre charging on with marking
for once weβre through this data set
new scenes weβll be applauding.
Congrats PW and all concerned
π π
Posted
-
by yshish moderator, translator in response to coldcounter's comment.
Oh, what a nice poem! Thank you @coldcounter and don't worry you 'missed' that. All of us did π
Posted
-
by gardenmaeve moderator
Hurrah for coldcounter's poetry inspired by PW! π π π
Posted
-
by AvastMH moderator
Oh hey - that's really cool coldcounter!! I'm sorry I didn't spot it sooner - and I so agree with the idea of applauding new scenes, I can't wait to see where we are travelling to this time. π
Posted
-
by AvastMH moderator
A little (very short) light entertainment in between our bigger events. Just as you work hard, here's Dr Tom Hart dealing with cameras in Antarctica.
I'm not sure, but it's possible that the wind won the battle for being heard on both snippets. See what you think πhttps://www.facebook.com/PenguinZoo/videos/
Posted
-
by AvastMH moderator
A massive thank you to all of our volunteers. Today at about 2.00pm Greenwich Meantime we passed an amazing landmark of 4.5 million images classified.
Posted
-
by yshish moderator, translator
Wow, really cool! π Thanks, everyone. You're the best volunteers ever!
Posted
-
by AvastMH moderator
Dear PenguinWatching Volunteers,
Almost like a 'thank you' for your hard work this year, and recently reaching 4.5 million, we've made it onto the wonderful Zooniverse Advent Calendar. Not just as an entry in a window, but as the whole background image!
As you can see - I've been busy opening windows already. Open it yourself here: advent.zooniverse.org
So I thought I'd say a little more about it as follows:
Very happy for PenguinWatch that one of our favourite sites has become the calendar background for 2016. This is the Boat Shed at Port Lockroy and the colony of penguins there have given us more than a few laughs.
If you'd like to see a stunning panorama of Port Lockroy (and, youngsters, if you have permission to view a site other than this one) which is breathtaking:
https://www.antarctic.eu/wp-content/panoramas/antarktis_2013/port-lockroy_en/Port-Lockroy.htmlWe've discovered interesting things including that penguins might be superstitious (they don't walk under ladders):
They clear away snow (they've parked their shovels for a 3 pm tea break)
and they have great taste in views from their home:
But best of all they played their part in the statistics from PenguinWatch that Dr Hart used to protect a large area of Antarctic waters from human fishing.
And finally I'll use this chance to thank the thousands of wonderful volunteers who mark penguins for PenguinWatch - you're tremendous! π
And those last words are on behalf of all of the moderators, you really make it a pleasure to work on PenguinWatch π
Onwards to 5 Million classified pictures π
Posted
-
by Hatschi
Oh wow!
Yes, let's aim for 5 million classified pictures.The advent calendar is very nice and very interesting. Thank you to the Zooniverse team for putting it together.
And a big thank you to AvastMH for showing those amazing pictures and to all the moderators here for just being you π
Posted
-
by gardenmaeve moderator
π We moderators all are so happy to be working with the wonderful volunteers here. π
Very attractive announcement, @AvastMH. π
Posted
-
by AvastMH moderator
Thank you Hatschi and gardenmaeve - it's the inspiration of the project coming out in me π
Posted
-
by yshish moderator, translator
π I can only agree. Thanks to everyone for all you have done for penguins and for this amazing project! You are awesome π (and lots of thanks to AvastMH and gardenmaeve for all their time spent on the Talk!)
Posted
-
by wildmonster
20 January 2017 is Penguin Awareness Day!
The Royal Society in the U.K. has tweets about it, and even has a link to Penguin Watch!
https://twitter.com/royalsociety/status/822363109486710784Posted
-
by gardenmaeve moderator
Thanks, @wildmonster ! Ingupina reminded us this morning with a friendly greeting. π
Posted
-
by AvastMH moderator
Thank you wildmonster! Lovely to see you here, and especially bringing us this news π One of the British TV programmes tonight featured the SANCCOB penguin sanctuary in South Africa (but sadly didn't mention penguinwatch).
π π π Well done everyone helping here, you've just come to 4 million and 620,000 pictures classified.
Posted
-
by AvastMH moderator
As I write this note the wonderful volunteers of PenguinWatch, which started in September 2014, have worked so hard that today's total is:
5640483 images classified by 45777 volunteers
That's a lot of work that has informed the science team. Thank you citizen scientists of PenguinWatch!
Posted
-
by yshish moderator, translator
Today, it has been 3 years of fun on Penguin Watch!
More fun is coming soon! π
Z.
Posted
-
by gardenmaeve moderator
Oh, how wonderful, yshish! It's so encouraging to see what can be accomplished by many people working together.
Thank you, @yshish , @AvastMH , and each one of you who has helped by classifying even one image- or thousands.Posted
-
by Melakmen
Yay to all of us. Been over on the other webpage doing some hurricane support looking over the before after satellite photos. Terrible to see the level of damage (and I live in a cyclone area).... But amazing that this level of technology can allow us to all work together to help those on the ground. Anyway, I keep popping back in to see if we have more pictures. Kinda miss the cute little penguins. π
Posted
-
by AvastMH moderator
How could I forget our birthday!!! Thanks so much for putting up a birthday picture @yshish π And I also thank @gardenmaeve and all of our regulars and the unknown thousands of passing helpers who do such a great job helping out the penguins. π π π
(I love this picture of Egg Rock - it is beautiful)
Posted
-
by AvastMH moderator in response to Melakmen's comment.
That's great work Melakmen - helping the hurricane area. I hope that you don't get hit by anything horrible yourself! There are times when we moan about the internet, and it can be a meddlesome place to be. But the power of support that it can bring to millions through citizen science at times of devastation - well that's so wonderful that it's almost impossible to put the benefits into words. We've done hurricanes, the earthquake in Nepal/Tibet, and others. We used to feel almost helpless to help in the pre-citizen science days...now you can be so effective in organising help. Wonderful. π
Posted