Tackling invasive species with a mobile game
By weeding out invasive species, you can do valuable nature conservation work and earn a reward.
In the City of Espoo area, Himalayan balsam and large-leaved lupine have been mapped and weeded out with the help of the Crowdsorsa mobile game.
In the game, when players find invasive species – marked with symbols that indicate monetary value – for the map, they take a video of the plants before and after weeding and submit the video for review.
Once the work has been approved, the player is paid a small reward according to the amount indicated by the symbol.
“The occurrences of invasive species are filmed and, after review, a reward is paid,” explains Minna Oja, who works as an invasive species coordinator at the City of Espoo.
Espoo is committed to preserving biodiversity and making sure that the benefits nature provides for humans do not lead to its degradation. One of the objectives of Espoo’s biodiversity action plan published in 2021 is to identify, name and provide information on natural sites to be protected.
Invasive species are one of the factors that threaten biodiversity. The purpose of combatting these species is to remove their blooms before their seeds can mature and spread, thus preventing the expansion of their growth area and the choking out of native plant life.
“Lupines, for example, displace traditional meadow plant species, and the poisonous lupanine contained in their pollen can negatively impact the reproduction of bumblebees,” says Oja.
The Crowdsorsa mobile game will be available again next summer. It allows residents and families in Espoo to participate in valuable nature conservation work.
Three tips for tackling invasive species
- Learn to recognise and combat invasive species. You can find instructions at vieraslajit.fi(external link, opens in a new window) and martat.fi/puutarha/vieraslajit/(external link, opens in a new window) (in Finnish)
- Download the Crowdsorsa app from the app store and take part in combatting invasive species by playing the game.
- Choose native species for your own yard and garden. Do not grow invasive species which spread easily into the environment.
Text: Minna Saano
This article has originally been published in the Espoo Magazine 1/2024.
Read other articles in the Espoo Magazine.