Blog: Citizen Science Projects, People, and Perspectives
By Darlene Cavalier, Sep 08, 2010
Looking for a convenient way to identify birds during your next citizen science excursion? Consider the WildLab Bird iPhone app, which uses photographs, audio, and maps to help you determine which bird you’ve spotted and makes it easy to share the observation with researchers at Cornell University’s Lab of Ornithology. Here’s how it works: Visit … Read more “Don’t know a chickadee from a warbler? There’s an app for that!”
Categories: Animals, Apps, Birds, Citizen Science, Ecology & Environment, Nature & Outdoors, Science Education Standards
By Susan West, Aug 24, 2010
If you like Phoebe Allens, the famous Allen’s hummingbird whose comings and goings are video-recorded in a southern California yard, then you should know about The Animal Detector. The Animal Detector is a video blog devoted to the nocturnal critters that visit the backyard of University of North Carolina developmental biologist Bob Goldstein. One night … Read more “A webcam for things that go bump in the night”
Categories: Animals, Birds
By John Ohab, Aug 05, 2010
On the list of reasons to watch The Rachel Maddow Show, one wouldn’t ordinarily expect to find “lessons in ornithology” near the top. Well, after Monday night’s show, that’s exactly what viewers got! In the video clip below, Maddow explains how she was recently walking her dog in a western Massachusetts forest when she heard … Read more “Is Rachel Maddow a citizen scientist?”
Categories: Animals, Birds, Computers & Technology, In the News, Nature & Outdoors
By Elizabeth Walter, Aug 04, 2010
Scientists all over the northeast want to know more about where native owls live and roam. By keeping mice and other small rodents in check, owls perform a critical function in suburban ecosystems. But researchers don’t yet understand why owls survive well in some suburban areas and not in others. So, all you citizen scientists … Read more “Night owls needed”
Categories: Animals, Birds, Nature & Outdoors
By Darlene Cavalier, Aug 03, 2010
Is your yard for the birds? This fall, Cornell University’s Lab of Ornithology will unveil YardMap, a citizen science project that asks participants to map their yards and green spaces to help researchers better understand where birds live. The project provides a Google satellite image of your yard (or another green space of your choice), … Read more “Map an important bird habitat: your own backyard”
Categories: Birds, Citizen Science, Ecology & Environment, Nature & Outdoors
By Michael Gold, Jun 30, 2010
An important new citizen science project turned up in our database the other day—and it urgently needs volunteers. MoGO, short for Mobile Gulf Observatory, is an iPhone app that enlists volunteers to record and report the damage of the Gulf Coast oil spill on the region’s wildlife and environment. It was created by researchers at … Read more “Citizen scientists needed to track oil damage–by phone”
Categories: Animals, Birds, Citizen Science, Computers & Technology, Ecology & Environment
By John Ohab, Jun 17, 2010
Having just returned from a vacation to one my favorite cities of all time, Seattle, I thought I would highlight some of the amazing citizen science projects taking place in Washington state. Below, I’ve provided just a quick sampling of some the projects we’ve added to our Project Finder. Do you know of any other … Read more “State of the Science: Washington”
Categories: Animals, Biology, Birds, Chemistry, Citizen Science, Ecology & Environment, Geology & Earth Sciences, Health, Nature & Outdoors, Ocean & Water, Physics, Science Education Standards
By Michael Gold, May 13, 2010
This is going to sound odd, but I’m pretty sure I’m being stalked…by citizen science. Ever since we launched Science for Citizens a few months ago, I find myself bumping into science and taking part in science-flavored activities no matter where I am or what I’m doing. Take my recent trip to California’s Anza Borrego … Read more “Science for citizens is everywhere!”
Categories: Animals, Astronomy & Space, Birds, Citizen Science, Nature & Outdoors
By Darlene Cavalier, May 11, 2010
Calling all citizen scientists in the Gulf Coast! Help survey birds in the beaches and marshes most likely to be impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Cornell University’s Team eBird has produced the eBird Gulf Coast Oil Spill Bird Tracker gadget that can be embedded in your iGoogle page for quick access to the … Read more “Gulf Coast oil spill: Help survey birds at risk”
Categories: Birds, Citizen Science, Ecology & Environment
By Michael Gold, Apr 30, 2010
Around noon today, a Florida wildlife rescue worker loosened his grip on a red-shouldered hawk that had been recuperating from a serious head injury over the past two months. As the surrounding crowd cheered, the bird took flight and soared through the skies over Biscayne National Park (see the video, below). This was the official … Read more “Florida BioBlitz takes off–Friday and Saturday!”
Categories: Animals, Biology, Birds, Citizen Science, Ecology & Environment, Nature & Outdoors, Ocean & Water
