Guest blog post from Charles Ault, Superstition Area Land Trust (SALT) community.
SALT Citizen Science program emerges in East Valley. Rhythms of Desert Citizen Science program examines the effects of El Niño on our climate.
Four organizations dedicated to advancing scientific research, public policy, and community-based decision making, have come together to develop a program that harnesses the interests, enthusiasm and abilities of everyday people to assist in conducting important scientific work. The Superstition Area Land Trust (SALT), Apache Junction Public Library (Library) SciStarter, and Arizona State University’s Center for Engagement and Training in Science and Society (ASU) have collaborated to establish a program called Rhythms of the Desert Citizen Science. This exciting program is currently focused on assisting NASA in collecting and studying soil, cloud and rain data in order to determine the effects of El Niño on the local climate.
Several people from the area have signed up for the program since it was first announced in early December 2016. Some have already completed online training supplied by SciStarter and have begun to collect and share data. Others are in the process of training and will soon be heading out to establish sample sites and begin data collection.
The Apache Junction Library, SciStarter and Youth Learning as Citizen Environmental Scientists (YLACES) have made it easy for folks to participate by making scientific equipment kits available, free of charge, at the Library for check-out. SALT purchased an equipment kit to add to the 3 provided by SciStarter and YLACES to enable Citizen Scientists to get started sooner.
If you are a scientist or someone who was always had an interest in science but never had the opportunity to get involved, go to http://www.azsalt.org/cspreg.html to sign-up. We will get back to you and get you on the road towards becoming a Citizen Scientist.
https://science.asu.edu/center-engagement-training-science-society