Observations
Eligible records contributed to Future, including biodiversity, environmental issues and conservation activity.
Every contribution to nature matters. The Custodian journey recognises growth from your first local observations to sustained stewardship across the planet.
Progression is based on four transparent measures. The requirements encourage participation without requiring every person to become an expert in every subject. A member may specialise in birds, reptiles, cacti, pollution, wildlife care, conservation or another area that matters to them.
Eligible records contributed to Future, including biodiversity, environmental issues and conservation activity.
Distinct things documented, such as a raven, prickly pear, littering, general dumping or tyre dumping.
Broad fields of stewardship such as Birds, Reptiles, Cacti, Pollution or Conservation.
The major biogeographic realms in which a member has made eligible contributions.
A member advances when all four minimum requirements for the next Custodian stage have been met.
| Custodian stage | Observations | Classifications | Missions | Ecozones |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garden Custodian | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Region Custodian | 100 | 20 | 3 | 1 |
| Nation Custodian | 1,000 | 50 | 8 | 2 |
| Global Custodian | 5,000 | 100 | 15 | 4 |
| Future Custodian | 10,000 | 200 | 20 | 7 |
Each stage represents an expanding level of contribution, from caring for the biodiversity closest to you through to helping build a lasting environmental legacy.
Garden Custodian recognises a member’s first meaningful contribution to Future.
It is intentionally achievable. The aim is to help new members learn how to make observations, document classifications and participate in their first mission.
Contributions may come from a garden, local street, park, waterway, reserve or any environment accessible to the member.
Region Custodian recognises consistent contribution within the member’s wider area.
At this stage, members have moved beyond their first introductory records and demonstrated continued interest in environmental observation and stewardship.
A Region Custodian may remain focused on one main subject, such as birds or pollution, while beginning to explore other missions and classifications.
Nation Custodian recognises substantial and established environmental participation.
Members at this stage have developed a meaningful body of work, contributed across several missions and documented a wider range of environmental classifications.
Nation Custodian does not require observations from every part of a country. The title represents the significance and maturity of the member’s contribution rather than a strict political boundary.
Global Custodian recognises environmental contribution that spans multiple parts of the world and several major stewardship domains.
A member may reach this stage through travel, international collaboration, remote research, data review, wildlife support, conservation activity or other eligible contribution pathways.
The emphasis is on meaningful global participation rather than requiring every member to physically visit each place represented in their contribution history.
Future Custodian is the highest published progression stage in Future.
It recognises sustained contribution across observations, classifications, missions and the world’s major ecozones.
Future Custodians are not expected to know everything. They may still be specialists, but their long-term contribution demonstrates commitment, experience and an enduring environmental legacy.
An observation is an eligible environmental record accepted by Future for progression purposes.
Depending on the mission, an observation may document:
Repeated observations may continue to increase the observation total, provided each record meets the applicable eligibility and quality requirements.
A classification represents a distinct subject successfully documented within a mission.
The same classification contributes once to the classification total, even when it has been observed many times.
Missions are broad environmental or taxonomic fields within Future. Each mission has its own classifications and completion criteria.
Future is designed around an initial set of 20 missions. Additional missions may be introduced as the platform grows.
Future uses seven major biogeographic realms to recognise the geographic breadth of eligible contribution.
Ecozone recognition is based on the location or accepted geographic relevance of an eligible contribution.
Future may introduce new missions and classifications as environmental knowledge, platform capabilities and community participation grow.