The Economic Times

In 2021, more than 125,000 people downloaded Cicada Safari to photograph Brood X; by May 17, they had submitted over 50,000 photos and videos for mapping

Billions of cicadas emerged in spring 2021, prompting widespread public interest and documentation. The Cicada Safari app allowed people to submit photos and videos, transforming phones into research tools. This crowdsourced data provided valuable insights into the Brood X cicada emergence across fifteen states. Researchers verified these submissions, turning public sightings into usable scientific information for future studies. The app's success demonstrated a new, accessible method for documenting natural phenomena.