Blog: Citizen Science Projects, People, and Perspectives
By Bob Hirshon, Jul 26, 2022
Sharks get a lot more attention than, say, sea cucumbers, possibly because sharks tend to have much bigger teeth. They even get their own week! (note to Discovery Channel: please find room for Sea Cucumber Week). And yet, as marine scientist and shark expert David Shiffman points out, scientists are still discovering new things about … Read more “Tracking Sharks and Listening to Rays”
Categories: Animals, Biology, Citizen Science, Ecology & Environment, Nature & Outdoors, Ocean & Water
By Anna Funk, Jun 03, 2022
Lost your smartphone? Rabbits eating all your sunflowers? Can’t seem to find opportunities right for you? Sometimes doing citizen science can bring some unexpected problems. But take heart — whatever challenge you’re facing, you’re likely not the first one to deal with it. We surveyed SciStarter’s users about the problems they’ve encountered while trying to … Read more “Top 7 Citizen Science Problems (And How to Solve Them)”
Categories: Animals, Citizen Science, Climate & Weather, Other
By Jared Lipworth, Mar 22, 2022
When the global pandemic hit, acclaimed wildlife filmmaker Martin Dohrn, locked down in his small city garden in Bristol, England, decided to turn the cameras on the wildlife in his backyard. He was particularly fascinated with the bees visiting his garden. Putting his unparalleled skills and cameras to use, he filmed more than 60 different … Read more “Inspire Your Community to Protect Local Pollinators”
Categories: Animals, Biology, Citizen Science Month, Ecology & Environment, Environment, Events, Insects, Nature & Outdoors
By Sabina Schrynemakers, Oct 12, 2021
Does a dog ever think, in their own way, “That sure looks like a squirrel, but I could be mistaken?” Throughout history, humans have thought that our ability to reflect on our own thinking — what scientists call metacognition — distinguishes us from other animals. But there’s growing evidence that’s not the case. Researchers have … Read more “Are Dogs Aware of Their Own Thinking? Volunteers with Canine Metacognition Put Pups to the Test!”
Categories: Animals, Citizen Science
By SciStarter Team, Aug 26, 2021
National Dog Day is August 26. In honor of your furry friend, participate in these simple at-home projects to help researchers learn more about your pup! And use the Project Finder to search for exciting citizen science projects on any topic you can think of (yes, that includes cats). Cheers, The SciStarter Team
Categories: Animals, Biology, Citizen Science
By SciStarter Team, Aug 04, 2021
Every day, researchers who need your help add their projects to SciStarter, with topics spanning everything from canine cognition to space agriculture. We’re highlighting six of our favorite newly added projects — but don’t stop here! Use the Project Finder to search for the latest citizen science opportunities to save to your Dashboard. Cheers, The SciStarter Team
Categories: Animals, Citizen Science, Featured Projects
By Jill Nugent, Aug 02, 2021
Summer is still here in the Northern Hemisphere and many people are maximizing time spent outdoors as they enjoy the season’s sunshine and temperate weather. In this piece, we share citizen science summer opportunities tailored for our friends to the north, the Great North: Canada! Canada is home to numerous citizen science organizations and opportunities … Read more “A Canadian Summer of Science”
Categories: Animals, Bats, Birds, Citizen Science, Ecology & Environment, Environment, Nature & Outdoors
By SciStarter Team, Jul 16, 2021
SciStarter is partnering with National Moth Week (available in 50+ countries)! July 17 through 25, people of all ages are gathering to explore and learn about the wonderful world of moths. There are over 1,000(!) registered mothing events to choose from. Find one near you or sign up to host an event of your own! Finding moths is … Read more “Celebrate National Moth Week July 17-25”
Categories: Animals, Citizen Science, Ecology & Environment, Insects
By Eric Betz, Apr 19, 2021
In the past 40 years, butterfly populations have declined dramatically across the American West, both in cities and in the wilderness. Overall, butterflies are now declining at a rate of 1.6 percent each year. That’s what researchers using butterfly observations from citizen scientists and professional researchers found in a recent study. Their work, drawing from … Read more “Western Butterfly Populations are Plummeting, Citizen Science Data Shows”
Categories: Animals
By Brielle Fischman, Bradley Cosentino, and James Gibbs, Feb 09, 2021
In 1902, an international trade deal was brokered between the U.S. and Canada. Frank Baker, superintendent of the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, D.C., had been working on the deal for some time. In a letter from 1900 sent to several addresses in Ontario, Canada, Baker explains he is “very desirous of obtaining” a particular … Read more “City Squirrels Look Different. Is Evolution Driving a Color Change?”
Categories: Animals
