Birds Canada has concerns about the “stark decline” of bird populations across the country.
The national nonprofit organization is commissioning Canadian technology to help do something about it.
Since 1970, over a third of bird species in Canada have declined population, to the tune of nearly three billion fewer birds throughout North America, according to the 2024 State of Canada’s Birds Report.
Yet birds play a critical role in healthy ecosystems, and their population levels signal broader environmental changes, the report warns.
Birds Canada is working with Edmonton-based digital transformation innovation consultancy Punchcard Systems to launch the NatureCounts mobile app.
The NatureCounts app is an intuitive digital tool that empowers conservationists, scientists, and volunteers to collect data faster, more accurately, and at greater scale, according to Catherine Jardine, who serves as Associate Director of Data Science and Technology at Birds Canada.
“With bird populations in crisis, we need better data and faster action,” explains Jardine. “NatureCounts makes that possible by empowering Citizen Scientists, researchers, and volunteers to collect high-quality information and drive urgent, informed decisions to protect our birds and our ecosystems.”
At the core of the new NatureCounts app is the point count interface, a tool that digitizes one of the most widely used bird monitoring methods in conservation science. By integrating satellite imagery, precise GPS mapping, and a mobile-first design, the new point count tool replaces a traditionally paper-based, time-intensive process with an efficient, scalable solution.
“At Punchcard, we’re proud to partner with organizations tackling urgent, real-world challenges, and Birds Canada is a perfect example,” stated Sam Jenkins, Managing Partner at Punchcard Systems.
Other features of the app include flexible protocol customization to supports different biodiversity monitoring programs and standards, as well as offline functionality for use in remote environments.
“This collaboration brought together deep field expertise and thoughtful technology design to strengthen, not replace, traditional conservation methods,” Jenkins continued. “NatureCounts represents a powerful step forward in global conservation, and we’re proud to support Birds Canada in leading that charge.”
Birds Canada and Punchcard Systems say they intend to continue to collaborate to enhance the NatureCounts platform with new features and improvements later this year.
Punchcard Systems was built in 2016 by Jenkins and Estyn Edwards, working with over 250 clients to leverage software as a catalyst for growth.
Birds Canada was founded in 1960 in Port Rowan as the Long Point Bird Observatory.
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