Pix Stix: Turning beach snaps into big science on the Yorke
Think of a giant coastal time lapse, built by thousands of thumbs tapping the camera button, helping track what’s happening along the coast.
Four shiny new Pix Stix have popped up ahead of Easter along Yorke Peninsula’s coastline - at Wauraltee Beach, Parsons Beach, Point Souttar and Daly Head - giving everyday beach walkers the chance to become coastal detectives with nothing more than their phone and a spark of curiosity.
With community interest in the local nature spaces that support their community, liveability, business and tourism on the rise, Pix Stix offers a simple, practical and positive way for everyone to contribute data that feeds into solutions to build the health and resilience of our coast-scapes.
By helping us detect changes over time, like early weed incursions, dune movement or erosion after storms, Pix Stix photos help coastal managers step in before small issues become big problems. That might mean fixing blown out access paths, protecting dunes that shelter beaches from erosion, or targeting weed incursions or sand hill erosion. In simple terms, your photo helps keep beaches safer, healthier and looking great for future visits.
Here’s how it works
You spot a Pix Stix.
You pop your phone into the groove.
You snap a photo in the exact same spot as everyone else - and send it in.
Boom - science achieved - You’re now an honorary coastal scientist.
Whether you are a local or a visitor, your photo becomes part of a long-term visual timeline, helping track dune movement, vegetation shifts, erosion patterns, and event environmental events like algal blooms.
It’s citizen science for the region… made fun
Originally dreamed up on Eyre Peninsula, this is the very first Pix Stix adventure for the Northern and Yorke region.
Team Leader and project manager Janet Moore from the Northern and Yorke Landscape Board says right now, the community is seeing real change along the coastline - and this is a way of turning concern into action.
“The project makes monitoring coastal change easy, accessible and - let’s be honest - pretty fun,” says Team Leader Janet Moore.
“Every photo helps us understand what’s changing, where, and how quickly.
“Every photo is a tiny data point with big potential.
“Whether you’re walking the dog, grabbing a surf, or stopping for a sunset, your photo helps build a long term visual timeline of our coastal environment.
“With Easter around the corner, it is the perfect time to launch this initiative in our region.”
Janet says these images support land managers, community groups and researchers as they plan for the future.
If you’ve ever wanted to dabble in science without needing goggles, beakers, or the ability to pronounce Sillaginodes punctatus (King George Whiting), now’s your moment.
To find Pix Stix locations or get involved go to: https://www.landscape.sa.gov.au/ny/get-involved/citizen-science/pix-stix
Pix Stix is delivered by the Northern and Yorke Landscape Board in partnership with the Department for Environment and Water, and supported by the Yorke Peninsula Council.
