Naughtweed

Citizen science often depends on volunteers capturing where and when something happened — an invasive plant, a blooming wildflower, a flooded culvert, a wildlife sighting. But pulling out a phone, opening an app, and filling in a form takes long enough that observations get skipped or forgotten. Naughtweed removes that friction.

Volunteers carry a small Flic button (a Bluetooth clicker that clips to a bag, keychain, or pocket) paired to their phone. When they spot something worth logging, a single press records a timestamped, geotagged observation in less than one second — no app to open, no form to fill out. Three press gestures (single click, double click, and long hold) let each project define its own lightweight taxonomy. For invasive species monitoring, that might be suspected / confirmed / needs follow-up. For trail conditions, passable / obstacle / hazard. For phenology, first bud / first bloom / first fruit. The pattern works anywhere a momentary geospatial data point is the unit of observation.

Our initial focus is early detection of invasive plants in neighborhoods, parks, and trails, where rapid reports to land managers and conservation partners support restoration before infestations become costly. The same workflow extends to phenology tracking, wildlife sightings, stream and vernal pool monitoring, and municipal field reporting (storm damage, illegal dumping, infrastructure issues).

No experience is necessary — just curiosity and a willingness to look closely at what’s around you. Because logging takes a single click, volunteers can contribute on any walk without slowing down. Every report helps build the kind of dense, timely dataset that ecological and municipal decisions actually depend on.

Getting started: Flic buttons are available on our website (currently sold out!) or on Amazon — purchase and we’ll help you pair it with Naughtweed. Don’t want to buy? Check your local library: many lend Flic buttons as part of a community kit. If yours doesn’t yet, reach out and we’ll help them get set up.