Blog: Citizen Science Projects, People, and Perspectives
By Kristin Butler, Jun 24, 2019
Kristin Butler dedicates her Scuba Series in remembrance of her beloved mother, Marilyn Butler, who passed along to Kristin a deep love for science and nature along with a pair of pink scuba diving fins. Each year, the Long Beach Scuba Show brings together divers from around the world for seminars and exhibits on all … Read more “Long Beach Scuba Show: Catching up with Reef Check and Ocean Sanctuaries”
Categories: Ecology & Environment, Nature & Outdoors
By Kristin Butler, Jan 04, 2019
For more than a hundred years, the United States government has paired university scientists with local farmers to study how best to feed the world. These extension programs helped to more than double agricultural production in the U.S. between 1948 and 2001 by sharing knowledge between farmers and university researchers. These extension programs—which bring knowledge … Read more “Citizen Science Needed to Help Feed the World”
Categories: Biology, Do-It-Yourself, Ecology & Environment
By Kristin Butler, Jun 30, 2018
Hitting the trails for the long holiday weekend? Here’s a citizen science project you can contribute if you’re exploring the Appalachian Mountains, which stretch all the way from Georgia to Maine. Happy trails! ~The SciStarter Editorial Team Hikers in the Appalachian mountains contribute data and help researchers learn how climate change is affecting plants living … Read more “Hiking in the Appalachian Mountains? Here’s How You Can Contribute to Science While You’re At It”
Categories: Citizen Science, Environment
By Kristin Butler, Jun 21, 2018
I read once that if you want to keep a giraffe in captivity you have to capture it when it is young because an adult giraffe will fight to the death to be free. The story was in the book “Zarafa” by Michael Allin, and while I don’t think the statement is scientifically correct, I … Read more “A Global Effort to Protect Giraffes with Citizen Science”
Categories: Animals, Biology, Citizen Science, Nature & Outdoors
By Kristin Butler, Jan 18, 2018
Citizen scientists across the country are helping scientists better understand the illness and how it is moving through the population by participating in a research project called Flu Near You. … Read more
Categories: Citizen Science, Health, Project Profile
By Kristin Butler, Nov 22, 2017
I used to think of birds as delicate creatures, airy and carefree, with pretty feathers and pretty songs. Then I saw the film “Winged Migration” and came to understand just how gritty and daring these lovely creatures really are. The film uses bird’s-eye footage to document the treacherous treks birds across the globe make each … Read more “Exploring the wonder of birds through the Migratory Shorebird Project”
Categories: Animals, Birds, Project Profile
By Kristin Butler, Oct 24, 2017
Editor’s Note: Today starts the beginning of Bat Week and there are many opportunities for citizen scientists to get involved. Below, we have reposted an article from 2015 on the popular online project Bat Detective. Want to support more bat projects? Check out SciStarter to find a list of fun possibilities.
Categories: Bats, Citizen Science, Nature & Outdoors, Project Profile
By Kristin Butler, Oct 05, 2017
Tiffany Poon dives with sharks. In fact, it’s one the biggest highlights of her diving year. “As soon as the first one appears, usually in spring, I’ll be at La Jolla Cove spending as much time as possible with them,” Poon says. “Sometimes they’re shy and keep their distance, but often they’ll come by close … Read more “From Tide-pooling to Shark Diving, Citizen Science with Ocean Sanctuaries”
Categories: Citizen Science, Education, Ocean & Water, Other
By Kristin Butler, Sep 26, 2017
How can you protect an astronaut from getting a sunburn in space? The Royal Society of Chemistry in London has designed a collection of hands-on chemistry experiments that kids can do to explore this question and discover the answer for themselves. The project is called Mission: Starlight. It is free and includes downloadable videos, worksheets, and … Read more “Mission: Starlight Uses Space to Spark Curiosity in Chemistry”
Categories: Astronomy & Space, Chemistry, Citizen Science, Project Profile
By Kristin Butler, Sep 21, 2017
Like many people, I was first introduced to the world of archaeology by Indiana Jones, that adventuresome character who lit up the big screen rescuing artifacts from villains by the skin of his teeth. Indy was awesome and will always have a place in my heart. But while he succeeded in making archaeology seem romantic, … Read more “Discovering our Common Humanity through Space Archaeology”
Categories: Archeology, Citizen Science, Project Profile
