Covering the people, projects and phenomena of citizen science
Blog: Citizen Science Projects, People, and Perspectives
What’s in YOUR Water?
By Eva Lewandowski, Sep 15, 2016
Water: We can’t live without it.
Photo: USFWS
Water is one of our most precious natural resources, so it’s not surprising that there are hundreds of scientists in need of your help to keep an eye on rivers, streams, lakes, oceans, and taps. Below, our editors highlight five water monitoring projects. You can find hundreds more water projects with our SciStarter Water Project Finder.
Would you like your water monitoring project featured on SciStarter? Simply click here to add it to our Project Finder!
Cheers!
The SciStarter Team
Photo: Earthwatch
FreshWater Watch
This global project from Earthwatch seeks to understand the health of freshwater ecosystems, and it needs volunteers from across the world to do it. There are opportunities for individuals and groups to volunteer. Participation fees are required.
Blue Water Task Force groups can be found throughout the United States. Participants regularly monitor bacteria levels at local beaches and share results to ensure the community is aware of any issues.
Volunteers throughout Wisconsin are needed to monitor the health of their local streams and rivers. Participants collect data on water chemistry, clarity, streamflow, and other aspects of stream health. Teaching resources are available.
Missouri residents can volunteer to monitor their local streams. Participants receive training to monitor water chemistry, stream invertebrates, and more.
This Delaware project relies on volunteers to monitor water quality in streams throughout the First State National Historic Park. The streams are a major source of drinking water and are important to the area’s wildlife. Volunteers must be 18 or older.
Want more citizen science? Check out this new, low-cost book on Amazon! And, check out SciStarter’s Project Finder! With 1100+ citizen science projects spanning every field of research, task and age group, there’s something for everyone!
Eva Lewandowski is the Citizen-based Monitoring Coordinator for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, where she coordinates a statewide citizen science network. She has a PhD in Conservation Biology from the University of Minnesota and is an active volunteer.
