The Encyclopedia of Life (EoL) aims to provide global access to knowledge about life on Earth by collecting and sharing knowledge in an open, freely accessible digital resource. EoL identifies sources of biodiversity knowledge that are legally and practically shareable and enriches their structure with modern data tools to integrate them with other data.

EoL works with open access biodiversity knowledge providers around the world, including museums and libraries, universities and research centers, individual scientists, graduate students and citizen science communities, and a suite of international open data hubs. EOL receive information from many sources, and format and annotate it so that search tools can find similar content from different sources.

These are the country reports on implementation of the International Treaty received from Contracting Parties pursuant to Section V.1 of the “Procedures and operational mechanisms to promote compliance and address issues of non-compliance” (Resolution 9/2013), for which an updated Standard Reporting Format was adopted by the Governing Body in 2019 (Resolution 7/2019).

The Compliance Committee prepares a comprehensive synthesis and succinct analysis report for each session of the Governing Body. Please see the latest version here.

Some of the information received from Contracting Parties through their national reports is reused under several indicators in the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) reporting process. See, for example, SDG Indicator 15.6.1.

The deadline for the submission of national reports under the Second Reporting Cycle was extended by the Governing Body until 1 October 2024.

ThreatSearch is a global database of all known conservation assessments of plants. It contains global, regional and national conservation assessments for plants from a variety of sources. The aim is for ThreatSearch to be a one-stop shop to find any conservation assessment for plants.

Together with our two main collaborators – the National Red List and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew – we have assembled currently available conservation assessments into a single list of conservation assessments for plants. Additional significant contributors include NatureServe and CNCFlora. We are continuing to add new conservation assessments, as well as adding older non-digital sources.

ThreatSearch can be used to measure progress toward several targets of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation. First and foremost, by listing all conservation assessments for plants it helps to track progress towards Target 2 (An assessment of the conservation status of all known plant species, as far as possible, to guide conservation action). ThreatSearch will further help to measure Target 7 (At least 75 per cent of known threatened plant species conserved in situ) and Target 8 (At least 75 per cent of threatened plant species in ex situ collections, preferably in the country of origin, and at least 20 per cent available for recovery and restoration programmes). ThreatSearch also aims to be directly relevant to conservationists, educators, horticulturists, researchers, policy makers and many others who are working to save and understand plant diversity.

GBIF is an international network and data infrastructure funded by the world’s governments. It provides open access to data on all types of life on Earth. GBIF provides data-holding institutions around the world with common standards, best practices and open-source tools enabling them to share information on species. The data derive from many sources, from museum specimens collected in the 18th and 19th centuries to DNA barcodes and citizen science smartphone photos.

The network collates these diverse data sources through data standards, including Darwin Core, which forms the basis for most of GBIF’s index of hundreds of millions of species occurrence records. Publishers provide open access to their datasets using machine-readable Creative Commons licence designations, allowing scientists, researchers, and others to apply the data.

eBird began with a simple idea—that every birdwatcher has unique knowledge and experience. Our goal is to gather this information in the form of checklists of birds, archive it, and freely share it to power new data-driven approaches to science, conservation and education. At the same time, we develop tools that make birding more rewarding. From being able to manage lists, photos and audio recordings, to seeing real-time maps of species distribution, to alerts that let you know when species have been seen, we strive to provide the most current and useful information to the birding community.

eBird is among the world’s largest biodiversity-related science projects, with more than 100 million bird sightings contributed annually by eBirders around the world and an average participation growth rate of approximately 20% year over year. A collaborative enterprise with hundreds of partner organizations, thousands of regional experts, and hundreds of thousands of users, eBird is managed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

eBird data document bird distribution, abundance, habitat use, and trends through checklist data collected within a simple, scientific framework. Birders enter when, where, and how they went birding, and then fill out a checklist of all the birds seen and heard during the outing. eBird’s free mobile app allows offline data collection anywhere in the world, and the website provides many ways to explore and summarize your data and other observations from the global eBird community. Learn how to get started.

eBird is available worldwide, comprising a network of local, national, and international partners. eBird directly collaborates with hundreds of partner groups for regional data entry portals, outreach, engagement, and local impact. Explore regional collaborators.

Data quality is of critical importance. When entering sightings, observers are presented with a list of likely birds for that date and region. These checklist filters are developed by some of the most knowledgeable bird distribution experts in the world. When unusual birds are seen, or high counts are reported, the regional experts review these records. Learn more about eBird data quality.

eBird data are stored across secure facilities, archived daily, and are freely accessible to anyone. eBird data have been used in hundreds of conservation decisions and peer-reviewed papers, thousands of student projects, and help inform bird research worldwide. Learn more about eBird data use.

Wildlife Insights streamlines decision-making by providing machine learning models and other tools to manage, analyze and share camera trap data. With access to reliable data, everyone can make better decisions to help wildlife thrive.