The first training session on the use of the Pl@ntNet application in Uganda was recently held. Five one-day training sessions, combining both theoretical and practical components, took place at the Herbarium of Makerere University in Kampala on October 9 and 10, at the Sebitoli Chimpanzee Project station in Sebitoli on October 13 and 14, and at the Makerere University Biological Field Station in Kanyawara on October 15, 2025.
The 125 participants, mostly students and academic staff, were affiliated with institutions such as Makerere University, Busitema University, Kampala International University, Makerere University Biological Field Station, Mountains of the Moon University, and Muni University. They also represented several governmental and non-governmental organizations, including Entebbe Botanical Gardens, Geo Taxon Consult, International Centre for Research in Agroforestry, Join Effort to Save the Environment, Kabarole District Local Government, Kibale Chimpanzee Project, Kinyampanika Chimpanzee Conservation Development Association, Kyaninga Forest Foundation, National Agricultural Research Organization, Sebitoli Chimpanzee Project, Sieem Safaris, Tooro Botanical Gardens, Uganda Wildlife Authority, and Wildspace Data Analytics.
Thanks to the botanical expertise of the field guide who accompanied us on October 16 for an exploration of the surrounding vegetation of Kibale National Park, we were able to enrich the Pl@ntNet platform with new records from the area while also training him in the use of the application.
A satisfaction survey completed by about one hundred participants showed that all of them intend to use the Pl@ntNet app in their professional and personal activities (regularly for 82% and occasionally for 18%). Almost all would recommend it to their network (definitely for 89% and probably for 10%), and the majority expressed satisfaction with the training (very satisfied for 44% and satisfied for 49%).
In total, 122 Pl@ntNet accounts were created and 715 observations corresponding to 334 species were shared on the platform. The Pl@ntNet training team included Daniel Barthélémy from CIRAD and Murielle Simo-Droissart from IRD.
