Category: Animals

Waiting for a butterfly to flutter by with the Los Angeles Butterfly Survey

By Melinda T. Hough, Jul 20, 2014

Live in Los Angeles county? Photograph butterflies and moths, and help scientists study climate change. Interested in more moth and butterfly citizen science projects?  We’ve got you covered! “Once I read a story about a butterfly in the subway, and today, I saw one…” [2] In the heat of summer monsoons, butterflies accompany the paddling … Read more “Waiting for a butterfly to flutter by with the Los Angeles Butterfly Survey”

Categories: Biology, Citizen Science, Climate & Weather, Ecology & Environment, Insects, Nature & Outdoors

UK’s Big Butterfly Count is on!

By Alex Reis, Jul 19, 2014

Count butterflies to find out about the state of nature. Interested in butterfly citizen science projects? We’ve got you covered! From next Saturday 19 July until Sunday 10 August 2014, the Big Butterfly Count will take place in the UK. This citizen science project is organized by Butterfly Conservation UK and can boast being the … Read more “UK’s Big Butterfly Count is on!”

Categories: Animals, Citizen Science, Ecology & Environment, Insects

Kestrels in the City

By Alex Reis, Jul 17, 2014

With the help of the public, researchers from the University of Vienna, Austria, have found out that the Eurasian kestrel can be “seduced” by the city lights, but this decision comes at a cost, with lower reproductive success and a poorer diet. Urbanization is a global event that is invading natural habitats, inevitably leading to … Read more “Kestrels in the City”

Categories: Animals, Birds, Citizen Science, Ecology & Environment, Nature & Outdoors

Citizen Science on the Radio: WHYY Features Dan Duran’s Drexel Elaphrus Beetle Hunt

By Lily Bui, Jun 27, 2014

This week on The Pulse and SciStarter’s segment about citizen science, producer Kimberly Haas speaks with Dan Duran, who is running a project that monitors the elusive Elaphrus beetle to monitor stream health. Read WHYY’s related blog post to learn more. Here’s an excerpt: Dan Duran, assistant professor in Drexel University’s Department of Biodiversity, Earth … Read more “Citizen Science on the Radio: WHYY Features Dan Duran’s Drexel Elaphrus Beetle Hunt”

Categories: Citizen Science, Insects, Nature & Outdoors

How Many Can You Spot with Celebrate Urban Birds

By Alex Reis, May 29, 2014

In ten minutes, record the number of urban birds you observe in your neighborhood; your observations can improve the bird habitat in your community. Want more birds and bees citizen science projects? We’ve got you covered! Spotting birds in an urban environment not uncommon and these feathered friends have certainly found a place for them … Read more “How Many Can You Spot with Celebrate Urban Birds”

Categories: Animals, Biology, Birds, Citizen Science, Ecology & Environment, Nature & Outdoors

Track Lilacs and Loons with Nature’s Notebook

By Rae Moore - Editor, May 19, 2014

Observe and collect data to learn how climate and habitat affect plants and animals with Nature’s Notebook. Track the phenology of plants and animals with these citizen science projects. Most North Americans are relieved that spring has finally arrived, especially after a winter when ice storms, snowstorms, frigid temperatures or droughts were regular occurrences. For … Read more “Track Lilacs and Loons with Nature’s Notebook”

Categories: Animals, Apps, Biology, Birds, Citizen Science, Ecology & Environment, Insects, Nature & Outdoors

Citizen Science for Lovers of Birds and Bees!

By Jenna Lang, May 16, 2014

Let us tell ‘ya about the birds and the bees — for citizen science, that is! Here are just a few buzz-worthy projects to get you started. Also, don’t forget to stop by DISCOVER Magazine and SciStarter’s online Citizen Science Salon; look for our new collaboration in the pages of Discover starting this month; or … Read more “Citizen Science for Lovers of Birds and Bees!”

Categories: Animals, Biology, Birds, Citizen Science, Ecology & Environment, Insects, Nature & Outdoors

Citizen Science in The Classroom: Urban Birds

By Karen McDonald, May 12, 2014

Using Celebrate Urban Birds (CUB) to Meet Common Core and Next Generation Teaching Standards   Grades: K-12th Description: Celebrate Urban Birds (CUB) is a project through the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. It is a year round project specifically designed to engage classrooms with local urban birds and citizen science. Cornell offers a free classroom kit for … Read more “Citizen Science in The Classroom: Urban Birds”

Categories: Analyzing and interpreting data, Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering), Birds, Citizen Science, Constructing explanations (for science) and designing solutions (for engineering), Developing and using models, EarthSchool, Engaging in argument from evidence, Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information, Planning and carrying out investigations, Science Education Standards, Science Practices, Using mathematics and computational thinking

WildObs: Instagram for Nature Lovers

By Ian Vorster, Apr 10, 2014

Collect and share pictures of memorable encounters with nature using the WildObs app. Want more citizen science? Don’t worry. There’s an app for that. There are nature lovers, wildlife photographers, hikers, kayakers and birdwatchers who pursue their passion every day, and most of them do so in the hope of spotting an osprey, or catching … Read more “WildObs: Instagram for Nature Lovers”

Categories: Animals, Apps, Nature & Outdoors

Citizen Science in the Classroom: School of Ants

By Karen McDonald, Apr 02, 2014

Using School of Ants Citizen Science to Meet Common Core and Next Generation Teaching Standards in the Classroom Discovering Ants Grades: K-12th Description: School of Ants (SOA) is one of many urban wildlife citizen science projects hosted through the Your Wildlife project. Your Wildlife and School of Ants focuses on biodiversity and citizen-scientist driven inquiry … Read more “Citizen Science in the Classroom: School of Ants”

Categories: Analyzing and interpreting data, Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering), Citizen Science, Constructing explanations (for science) and designing solutions (for engineering), Developing and using models, EarthSchool, Engaging in argument from evidence, Insects, Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information, Planning and carrying out investigations, Science Education Standards, Science Practices, Using mathematics and computational thinking