EarthRanger supports both patrol tracking and event reporting through two related fields: Tracked by and Reported by. Understanding the difference helps ensure your patrol routes and event records are accurate and easy to interpret.

Before diving in, here are two quick definitions:

• Patrol: A planned or active monitoring mission that tracks movement over time.
• Event: A single, point-in-time observation or incident report (for example, a snare found or unusual wildlife behavior).

At a glance: what each field does 

Note on Subjects: In EarthRanger, a Subject can represent a person, vehicle, or tracking device. Both fields reference Subjects, but for different purposes.

Tracked by (for Patrols)

Tracked by identifies the Subject whose movement is being recorded for a patrol.
In other words, it tells EarthRanger where the patrol is or where it went, based on the tracked Subject’s location.

How it works

• EarthRanger Mobile
  • When a patrol is started in EarthRanger Mobile, the Tracked by field is automatically filled using the mobile user’s linked Subject/device.
  • This ensures patrol tracking is consistent without manual setup.
• EarthRanger Web / manual setup
  • For patrols created or configured on Web, you can manually select the tracked Subject from the list of available tracked subjects in Admin settings.

Reported by (for Events)

Reported by identifies who created or reported an Event.
It provides accountability and context for observations by linking each Event to a specific Subject.

Default behavior by platform

1. EarthRanger Web
   1. The field is blank by default.
   2. When creating an Event, select a Subject (or Event Reporter) from the dropdown list.
2. EarthRanger Mobile (no active patrol)
   1. If an Event is created in Mobile while no patrol is active, the Event is automatically linked to the logged-in user’s Subject.
   2. This cannot be manually changed from Mobile.
3. EarthRanger Mobile (active patrol)
   1. If an Event is created during an active patrol, Reported by automatically matches the Tracked by Subject.
   2. This keeps patrol-based reporting consistent.

Example:
A ranger sees unusual wildlife behavior and creates an Event in EarthRanger Mobile.

• The Event’s Reported by field is set to the logged-in ranger.
• If the Event is created during an active patrol, Reported by also matches Tracked by.

Managing entities in the Reported by dropdown

You can control which individuals appear in the Reported by dropdown using the methods below. This setup stays here (instead of a separate article) so users can resolve questions in one place.

Add new individuals to the Reported by field

Method 1: Use the “Person” Subject subtype

Subjects assigned to the Person subtype automatically appear in the Reported by dropdown.
EarthRanger uses this subtype to identify human staff members who can report Events.

• When someone logs into EarthRanger Mobile, a Subject is created for them and assigned Person by default.
• If your staff already exist as Person Subjects, no additional setup is needed.

Method 2: Add existing EarthRanger users via a Permission Set

If staff already have EarthRanger user accounts:

1. Go to User Accounts › Permission Sets
2. Open the Reported By Users permission set
3. Add the desired users

Those users will now appear in the Reported by dropdown.

Method 3: Create Event Reporters

For individuals who are not users or Subjects:

1. Go to Activity › Event Reporters
2. Click Add Event Reporters +

1. Enter a name and save

These will now be available in the dropdown.

Summary

Both fields are essential, but they answer different questions:

• Tracked by (Patrols): Which Subject’s route/location is being tracked for this patrol?
• Reported by (Events): Who created or reported this Event?

Together, they provide a complete view of patrol movement and field observations, improving situational awareness and enabling better analysis and response.

Up Next: Organize Subject Groups in EarthRanger Admin