In January 2021, the Odonata Foundation established The Great Australian Platypus Search as an immediate response to the platypus being listed as threatened in Victoria for the first time ever.

Starting in Victoria in August 2021, The Great Australian Platypus Search is a citizen science project that is using an innovative wildlife detection technique known as environmental DNA (eDNA). Collected via water samples from 2,000 sites across the state, this data will allow scientists to develop a comprehensive map of platypus populations across Victoria.   

This initiative is set to be one of the biggest citizen science projects in the world and is gathering never-before-seen data on one of the world’s most elusive species. The platypus is an Australian icon and an important indigenous species, and this project provides people with an opportunity to play an important role in protecting the platypus, aquatic wildlife and Australian waterways for many years to come.