Two citizen science projects, one which focuses on little penguins and the other on mosquito-borne illnesses, have been announced as winners of the 2025 South Australian Citizen Science Awards. 

First prize of $5,000 went to The Little Penguin Volunteer Monitoring Program. 

Since penguin tours of Granite Island ended in 2020, citizen scientists, all of whom are volunteers, have conducted nightly monitoring of the island, collecting data on penguin numbers, their behaviour and whereabouts. 

The group has close links with Flinders University lecturer Dr Diane Colombelli-Négrel and long-time tour guide Mr Stephen Hedges, and data collected by the group inform conservation strategies.

As well as collecting data, the group educates the public about appropriate behaviour around wildlife, engaging the community through census, workshops, and outreach events. 

Around 25-50 community volunteers form the group, with new recruits regularly joining. 

At approximately 33cm high, the little penguin is the smallest penguin in the world and is only found on the southern coastlines of Australia and New Zealand. 

Numbers of little penguins on Granite Island have dwindled from over a thousand to around 30 penguins in the last twenty or so years. 

Finalist, the Mozzie Monitors, was awarded a prize of $2,500. The project sees citizen scientists collect data to better understand the location and abundance of mosquitos, in partnership with researchers from the University of South Australia. 

Held by Inspiring South Australia, the Department for Environment and Water and the South Australian Chapter of the Australian Citizen Science Association, the 2025 South Australian Citizen Science Awards’ winners were announced on 8 August.