The EcoVannin Partnership has partnered with software developers Fuzzelogic Solutions in developing a new smartphone application aimed at helping environmental groups collect crowdsourced data on biodiversity, distribute campaigns and run competitions.

The app, EcoSourcer, is available for Android handsets now, with the Apple version due for release shortly. The first campaign, launching today, has been designed with the expertise of the Manx Hedgehog Conservation Society (MHCS) and will help them monitor what's happening to our prickly little pals.

And it seems they do need a bit of help. MHCS founder Sandy Huyton explained: "After a couple of years with late warm summers, we've seen more incidences than usual of hedgehogs having second litters of hoglets. But second-litter hoglets born later in the year almost certainly won't survive a Manx winter - they won't have put on the weight they need to cope with the cold. Moreover, the mothers to these hoglets can and do abandon their young to hibernate themselves, leaving the hoglets/young hedgehogs with pretty much no chance of survival unless they're lucky enough to be found and handreared. Hedgehogs are hugely sensitive to temperatures, which is why changes in their activity can tell us a lot about the impacts of climate change"

And of course, more and faster traffic, and other hazards also make life harder for hedgehogs - which has meant, in some areas, fewer sightings and worries that the population could be struggling. This is a great shame: as well as being engaging and entertaining creatures, hedgehogs are in many ways the gardener's friend, hoovering up slugs and other pests every day. There are lots of good reasons to want good data on how they're doing, so EcoVannin was delighted when Fuzzelogic Solutions approached them, through partner IoM Friends of the Earth, offering to help.

Zakir Hoosen, Managing Director of Fuzzelogic, said "We developed EcoSourcer as a way to help local environmental groups harness 'people power' - citizen-sourced information about wildlife sightings and the like. So many people have smartphones nowadays, and routinely use them for all sorts of things. We wanted to help build up a clearer picture of how the island's ecosystems are faring, in a quick and easy way, and this seemed like a great place to start. Anyone who has a smartphone can download the app, sign themselves in, and help out."

As Zak explained, the EcoSourcer platform is modular - it can be used for all sorts of different citizen data projects and campaigns, from sightings of particular species to competitions around environmentally-friendly behaviour. Both EcoVannin and Fuzzelogic are very keen that other environmental groups contact them to find out more, and see if they can make use of the app in their research, campaigns and competitions.

George Fincher, a Steering Group member of EcoVannin, said "This is a great example of how businesses and green groups can work together, and we're really pleased to be involved. EcoVannin is all about making our way of life more sustainable and protecting our natural environment. We hope we'll see lots of people downloading the app, logging sightings, and helping us find out what's happening so we can work out what's needed.”

Users can download the Android version of the app from https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fuzzelogicsolutions.ecosourcer,  or by going to: http://www.ecosourcer.com/ and clicking the Android icon. People only need to sign up once - after that they can log details every time they spot a hedgehog. Each time, they answer a few short questions on what they saw, and using their phone can upload a picture of the hedgehog too. The app will pick up where and when the sighting took place, so that each one adds to a growing database of what's happening. This means that over time a map of sightings and details is built up. Who knows - there may be untold hedgehog hotspots out there, just waiting to be discovered!

For information about hedgehogs, contact manxhedgehogs@gmail.com . For information and help with the app, go to www.ecosourcer.com  or contact Zak at zakir.hoosen@fuzzelogicsolutions.com.  In addition, other groups who would like to use the EcoSourcer platform for environmental or biodiversity projects can contact Zak at the same email address.

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Photos: The EcoSourcer app will help pinpoint areas where wildlife, like hoglet Little Lucy, is struggling as well as places where species are thriving