This is a step-by-step guide for volunteers who are recording Riverfly data on Cartographer. It is also applicable if you are doing Urban or Extended Riverfly monitoring.

Video Guide

The video below walks you through everything from accepting an invitation to join Cartographer, signing in to your account, and recording a first sample. If you’d prefer a written guide, continue reading below the video:

Written Guide

Start by going to the Cartographer home page at https://cartographer.io and clicking Sign In:

Enter your email address and password and log in to get to your home page. If you are offered a choice of workspaces, select Riverfly Partnership.

Adding a Survey

Click the Plus button next to Surveys in the Riverfly, Urban Riverfly, or Extended Riverfly project (as appropriate):

This will open a blank survey form. Start by filling in the date and time of the survey and, if relevant, the names of any additional surveyors who were with you:

Selecting a Site

Then select the Site you were sampling at by clicking on one of the blue circles on the map [1]. The name and trigger level of the selected site will be shown just below the map to help you identify it [2]:

Selecting a Sample Type

If you selected a site with a trigger level, the next question will ask you whether you are recoding a First or Second Sample. Always choose First Sample unless you are repeating your observations to confirm a trigger level breach. Your choice will affect the controls that appear at the bottom of the form in the event of a trigger level breach:

Fixed Point Photographs

Next there is a space for you to attach fixed point photographs of the site. These are optional. You can attach up to 2 photographs, each up to 20MB in size. See our Tips on Completing Survey Forms for extra help uploading photographs. Note that uploaded photographs are subject to our Platform Terms regarding user content:

Record Counts

Next comes the main section of the survey where you enter counts for the relevant species groups. In each case enter the number of insects observed [1]. Cartographer will calculate the corresponding ARMI Score and display it below [2]. If you are recording Urban or Extended Riverfly data you will see additional calculations here as well:

You must enter a count for each of the 8 core species groups. Enter a 0 if you didn’t observe any insects in a particular group. If you are recording Urban or Extended Riverfly data, you can leave groups beyond the core 8 blank.

Beneath the sample grid you will find a section called Survey Scores, where Cartographer calculates the total ARMI Score for the survey. If you are recording Urban or Extended Riverfly data you will see additional calculations here as well:

Trigger Level Breaches

If the total ARMI Score for the 8 core ARMI species groups equals or exceeds the trigger level for the site, you will see a green box titled Trigger Level OK. Fill out any additional notes and click Save to save your survey (see below):

If, on the other hand, the total ARMI Score is less than the trigger level, you will see additional controls telling you what to do next.

If you selected First Sample at the top of the form, you will see a yellow box titled Unconfirmed ARMI Trigger Level Breach. You will be asked to complete and save the current survey form (see below) then start a new form to record a second sample to confirm the breach:

If you selected Second Sample at the top of the form, you see a yellow box entitled Confirmed ARMI Trigger Level Breach. Follow the guide for confirming a trigger level breach for more information.

Finishing the Form

The remainder of the survey form consists of one or two fields:

• If you encountered a trigger level breach, a field will appear allowing you to upload photographs of any pollution evidence.
• The final field is a general Notes area where you can record any other relevant information to help later analysis.

Saving the Form

Regardless of the outcome of the trigger level breach, always finish by saving your form. Click Save at the top right of the page. You will see a popup containing two options:

• Choose Save as Draft if you aren’t finished yet but you need to step away from your computer for a moment.
• Choose Save as Complete if the survey form is complete and you’d like to submit it for review by a coordinator.

See Saving Surveys for more information about these status codes and how surveys are approved.

Back to the Survey List

Once you’ve saved your survey form you’ll end up back on the Survey List screen. If you just completed a first sample and the result was a trigger level breach, you may need to do a second sample to confirm the breach. Consult the guide on confirming a trigger level breach for more information.

Acknowledgements

This guide was developed in collaboration with Jess Andrews from the Environment Agency, Julie Wozniczka from Trent Rivers Trust, and Trine Bregstein from the Freshwater Biological Association.