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This April discover life on and off campus with QuestaGame.

#UniBioQuest

The University BioQuest is a worldwide competition among universities to discover, learn about and help map biodiversity for scientific research and conservation.

Join the CBA-sponsored ANU team and help us claim victory over other universities from around the world.

Started by QuestaGame in 2017 with just two universities (UC Santa Barbara, USA and Sydney University, Australia), the University BioQuest expanded to 20 universities in 2018, with hundreds of participants submitting over 70,000 sightings and identifications.

Get involved - it’s free and it will contribute to real research

Simply download the free QuestaGame app for your phone from the Apple or Google app store, then sign up to ANU's bioQuest team.

While you're out and about photographing nature you’ll also be mapping biodiversity by collecting citizen science data that will be made available for real research questions via the Atlas of Living Australia (ALA) and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF).

Over the past few years, QuestaGame players have recorded many new location records, undescribed species and potential biosecurity hazards which have subsequently proved valuable for scientific research and management. 

The University bioQuest is open to anyone, anywhere - students, staff, and the broader community. Follow the ANU team's progress here.

How to play

Throughout the month of April, submit photos of sightings, on or off campus, of wild animals, fungi and plants using the QuestGame app. The rarer your find, the higher your score. 

Expert-verified identifications will be returned to all participants.

Your efforts could help the ANU claim the 'Champion Spotters' team trophy.

You can also gain extra points by providing correct identifications through QuestaGame’s Bio-Expertise Engine (BEE). If you already consider yourself a bit of a nature expert, jump on BEE and help ANU win the 'Champion Identifiers' team trophy.

There’s prizes 

• Champion Spotters Team Trophy - Awarded to the university team with the highest combined score from all members from submitted sightings.
• Champion Identifiers Team Trophy - Awarded to the university team with the highest combined score from all members from correct identifications.
• Most Valuable Team Ribbon - Awarded to the university team with the highest average score per team member from both submitted sightings and correct identifications.
• Champion Spotter - US$50 Amazon Gift Card - Awarded for highest overall score for an individual based on sightings submitted.
• Champion Identifier - US$50 Amazon Gift Card - Highest score from correct IDs provided by an individual (through the in-game QuestaLab or the QuestaGame's Bio-Expertise Engine) during the competition and until the time that all competition sightings have been verified.
• Best Find on Campus - US$50 Amazon Gift Card - Highest scoring individual sighting from within participating university campuses.
• Active Adventurer Prize Draw - US$50 Amazon Gift Card - A winner will be a randomly drawn from all registered competitors who submit at least 5 sightings within the competition period.

Eastern grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus)​ at ANU's Mt Stromlo Observatory - Meet the animals of the ANU campus

Echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) on campus - Biodiversity monitoring at ANU