Community | Growing Data Foundation

Collab Fellowship

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 +0000

The Collab Digital Fellowship is a Growing Data Foundation program that pairs skilled digital practitioners with community organisations to build local capacity in open data, IoT and digital tools.

Fellows work embedded within partner organisations for a defined period, delivering a specific digital project while sharing skills and knowledge with staff and volunteers. The program aims to reduce the digital divide between well-resourced organisations and smaller community groups.

The project

Each fellowship is scoped around a concrete deliverable — a sensor network, a data dashboard, a community app — that the host organisation can maintain and build on after the fellowship ends. Fellows are drawn from GDF’s network of technical volunteers and industry partners.

About

The fellowship model is inspired by similar programs internationally that embed technologists within civil society organisations. The Growing Data Foundation coordinates the program and provides fellowship support, mentoring and open-source toolkits.

If you want to go far, go together

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 +0000

“If you want to go far, go together” is a Growing Data Foundation community mentoring and collaboration initiative inspired by the African proverb: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

The program brings together experienced digital practitioners, community organisations and emerging technologists to work on shared open data and IoT projects. The emphasis is on collective capacity building — sharing skills, tools and networks so that communities can sustain and grow their own digital projects over the long term.

The full report is available for download below.

Download the “If You Want to Go Far, Go Together” Report (PDF) »

Makerspace Adelaide

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Makerspace Adelaide is a community fabrication and prototyping space that the Growing Data Foundation has supported as a hub for hands-on IoT, electronics and open hardware projects.

Makerspaces provide access to tools — 3D printers, laser cutters, soldering stations, electronics benches — and, more importantly, a community of makers willing to share skills and collaborate on projects. For GDF, the makerspace connection supports the hardware prototyping side of citizen science and IoT initiatives including SmartHollow and the TTN Adelaide sensor node program.

About

GDF has provided mentorship, project facilitation and open-source toolkits to Makerspace Adelaide participants, helping bridge the gap between community making and real-world environmental and social impact projects.

The Things Network

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 +0000

The Growing Data Foundation founded The Things Network (TTN) Adelaide in 2016, establishing one of Australia’s first community-run LoRaWAN networks. TTN Adelaide provides free, open long-range wireless connectivity for IoT devices across metropolitan Adelaide and surrounds.

The network

The Things Network uses LoRaWAN technology to allow sensors and devices to communicate over distances of several kilometres without mobile subscriptions or WiFi. Gateways installed by community volunteers and organisations create a shared public network that anyone can use for environmental monitoring, smart city applications, agriculture and community science projects.

The tech

LoRaWAN (Long Range Wide Area Network) is a low-power wireless protocol ideal for battery- operated sensors in parks, farms, buildings and waterways. TTN Adelaide gateways relay sensor data to a free, open network server, and the collected data is made available through open APIs.

About

In 2019 the Growing Data Foundation was awarded the sole rights to host The Things Network Asia Pacific On Tour Conference in Adelaide, drawing over 150 attendees from across the region. TTN Adelaide continues to grow as a shared community resource underpinning citizen science, education and environmental monitoring projects across South Australia.

The Growing Data Foundation – A True GovHack Success Story

Sat, 01 Aug 2020 00:00:00 +0000

In 2014, Leo Gaggl — then working in the education and government sector on online learning and open education — recognised that the GovHack SA competition was an opportunity to demonstrate what open data could do for communities. He reached out to a broad group of colleagues and clients, many from education and government, to form a team. Fourteen people responded, and together the fifteen-strong “Nature Ninjas” entered GovHACK SA. The challenge was to develop something useful from previously unseen open data provided by state and commonwealth government departments, local councils, media agencies and universities.

The team accessed data from the State Flora Catalogue and mashed it up with Waite Arboretum Spatial Data and added lookups to the Atlas of Living Australia to develop a prototype application titled ‘What grows here?’. This mobile application can be used to identify flora that is indigenous to any particular geographical location using the GPS function on smart phones. Furthermore, the list of native plants that is displayed can be filtered and selected for certain features such as height, colour and purpose, which makes the application equally useful to either the home gardener or land managers.

The collective skills, commitment and passions of the team were rewarded by winning two state awards and one national award in the following categories: Unleashed Premier’s Award ($30,000); Building on Science, Research &Environmental Data ($2,500); and the People’s Choice Award ($2000).

This prize money was used to establish the Growing Data Foundation (incorporated in January 2015), to promote the development of open projects and systems that support the development of sustainable solutions to environmental, economic and social problems. The Growing Data Foundation is one of the very few, if not the only, project that was initiated during the GovHACK SA in 2014 that is still in existence and continuing to do great work.

For example, in 2016 the Growing Data Foundation founded The Things Network (TTN) Adelaide and currently facilitates the Adelaide OpenData and IoT Meetup that has over 900 subscribers.

In 2019, the Growing Data Foundation was awarded the sole rights to conduct The Things Network Asia Pacific On Tour Conference that was attended by over 150 people and very well-received by a diverse range of stakeholders. In lieu of a large physical conference due to COVID-19, the Growing Data Foundation is planning a range of smaller educational activities over the next 12 months featuring industry experts from across the globe in five key streams – Technical, Environmental, AgTech, Education and Smart Cities.

In June 2020, the Growing Data Foundation was invited by the District Council of Loxton Waikerie located in the Riverland region of South Australian to lead a Riverland Schools IoT Project. The aim of this project is to get staff and students in the four Riverland high schools involved in curriculum-based activities that use open, real-time data collected via sensors and LoRaWAN infrastructure recently installed across the Riverland to solve social, economic or environmental problems.

From Friday 14 – Sunday 16, 2020 members of the Growing Data Foundation will be joined by a team of other interested individuals to compete in the GovHack Competition which will be held simultaneously across Australia and New Zealand. During the 46-hour period the team will be required to create concepts, mashups and models with open government data, to examine the challenges facing government and communities in new and innovative ways.

Once again the Growing Data Foundation has an exciting and innovative project idea that it aims to bring to fruition over the weekend. Watch this space to find out what the Growing Data Foundation ‘Water Warriors’ have been able to achieve in this latest Govhack Competition!

The Things Network Adelaide

Thu, 01 Aug 2019 00:00:00 +0000

We are advocating for the development of a city-wide Internet of Things data network in Adelaide. A network that can talk to the internet without 3G or WiFi (no and has low battery usage, long range and low bandwidth extends opportunities for makers, inventors and creatives.

Get involved!

Join The Things Network – Adelaide, and join the Adelaide Open Data and IoT Meetup group to connect with like-minded people – and to get news, details of events straight to your app or mailbox.

About

The advantage of this technology for Maker and citizen science projects is that it allows ‘things’ to talk to the internet without 3G or WiFi – meaning that if a box is located in a remote area; data can still be obtained on conditions, effectiveness… or whatever it is you are measuring/monitoring.

Ansterdam has successfully demonstrated the value of this concept by creating the The Things Network using a new a new technology named LoraWAN™ that is perfect for Internet of Things projects.

Adelaide has many citizen science projects, makers, tinkerers and creators who will benefit from such a network.

First Names Here

Mon, 01 Apr 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Names and language are not just words – they are closely linked to our identity and culture. Aboriginal communities are sharng their languages through story, song and eduction. Tae a walk and learn the first names for places and, possibly later, for plants and things.

About

Names and language are not just words – they are closely linked to our identity and culture. Around Australia Aboriginal communities and groups are reviving and sharing their languages through story, song and through community and formal eduction. As you walk around this app allows you to see the first names for places and, possibly later, for plants and things.

You will be able to see what Aboriginal communities predominant in a particular area – fixed borders are a very western concept and we want to reflect this by avoiding drawing firm regional borders but instead showing you where there is a predominance from a particular community and where there is a shared presence from a number of communities.

As well a general interest – this app could be used as a learning tool for schools to provoke discussion and learning linked to the Australian Curriculum Across Curriculum Prioritys, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures

What grows here?

Fri, 01 Mar 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Whether you are a revegetation project team member, landscaper or gardener the ‘What Grows Here?’ app will help you find plants that best suit your space and needs. Learners can learn about local bird life.

The App

See detailed descriptions of over 1000 Australian Native Plants ranging from trees and shrubs to ground-covers and grasses.

The well-being of all life on our planet is under increasing pressure from climate change.

It has been known for decades that part of the solution lies in repairing our natural environment through tree planting and restoring forest to areas that have been cleared.

The ‘What grows here?’ app will empower you to and be part of the solution and help you plant the right tree, at the right time in the right place.

__ WGH? for Android

__ WGH? for iOS

Open data sets

‘What Grows Here?’ uses the following open datasets:
State Flora Catalogue (data.sa.gov)
Waite Arboretum Spatial Data
Atlas of Living Australia

About

‘What Grows Here?’ won the following Unleashed SA and GovHack prizes:

Premiers Award: Unleashed SA Competition
Building on science, research and environmental data Award: Unleashed SA Competition
The People’s Choice Hack, 1st Prize: National GovHack Competition

Visit the South Australian Unleashed and GovHack websites to find out about the competition and see the amazing projects different teams have created using open data.

‘What Grows Here?’ products were developed as part of the Unleased SA node of GovHack in 2014. As a result of participating in GovHack and winning awards that supported the development of the ‘What Grows Here?’ app and Learning Hub, the Nature Ninjas formed the Growing Data Foundation. The foundation will bring like-minded people together to work on open sustainable projects that support the community.

The Nature Ninjas team for the 2014 competition included: Joerg Boeselt; Leanne Brookes; Samantha Bywaters; Leo Gaggl; John Flackett; Brent Leideritz; David Lindley; Kristen Morgan; Rhys Moult; Katherine Nguyen; James Plummer; Sean Simper; Kenny Tran; Kien Vu; Catriona Ward.