Blog: Citizen Science Projects, People, and Perspectives
By John Ohab, Apr 05, 2013
This post originally appeared on the PLOS Blog Network. We’re down to the Final Four in this year’s NCAA tournament, and chances are your bracket isn’t looking too good. Welcome to the club. Worry not! We’ve got four citizen science projects that will help you make the most of Final Four weekend. MICHIGAN WOLVERINES fans… … Read more “Final Four citizen science projects!”
Categories: Animals, Astronomy & Space, Biology, Birds, CitSci Research, Climate & Weather, Contest, Insects
By Lily Bui, Feb 13, 2013
You’re familiar with this scene: a dog and its owner walk side by side down the street, and you can’t help but smirk that the dog is dressed up just like its owner. It’s undeniable–people often view their dogs as extensions of themselves. The marked bond between people and their dogs is one that often … Read more “Citizen science to assess your dog’s personality!”
Categories: Animals, Citizen Science
By Darlene Cavalier, Jan 20, 2013
SciStarter asked Craig Newmark (of Craigslist fame) why he likes squirrels. He told us that it all started with a simple desire to feed birds. But the suet palaces he was using to dispense the raw, fat-based bird food were constantly getting hacked by squirrels. He tried everything; he even upgraded to “squirrel-resistant” models, to … Read more “On this, National Squirrel Day, we feature Craig Newmark and squirrelly citizen science.”
Categories: Animals, Citizen Science, Climate & Weather, Contest, Ecology & Environment, Guest Contributor, Nature & Outdoors
By Lily Bui, Dec 17, 2012
See that partridge in a pear tree? Make sure you count it for Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count, one of the largest and longest running citizen science projects in existence today. It’s a 112 year tradition, with upwards of 60,000 person-days of effort and more than 60 million birds counted each year. “Each of the citizen … Read more “Christmas Bird Count takes flight”
Categories: Animals, Biology, Birds, Ecology & Environment
By Lily Bui, Oct 01, 2012
We couldn’t have asked for a better citizen science project to start off October, a month often associated with Halloween and all things spooky. Introducing Bat Detective, a project that enlists citizen scientists to screen sound recordings of bats to classify their distinct calls. Bats are nocturnal, making them very difficult to spot with the … Read more “Become a Bat Detective”
Categories: Animals, Bats, Biology, Citizen Science, Climate & Weather, Ecology & Environment, Insects, Nature & Outdoors
By Lily Bui, Sep 27, 2012
While Hallow’s Eve has you captivated by the curios, be sure to stay curious too! With these citizen science projects, it’s all treat, no tricks. … Read more
Categories: Animals, Archeology, Astronomy & Space, Biology, Citizen Science, Physics
By Peter Madden, Sep 10, 2012
It happens every year, and you’re right: it’s just not fair. After nearly three months of uninterrupted fun, gone are the barbeques, ball games and pool parties that dominated the summer schedule just as Labor Day signals the sudden arrival of the shorter, colder, and more structured days of the school year. But before you … Read more “Citizen Scientists Go Back to School”
Categories: Animals, Astronomy & Space, Biology, Citizen Science, Climate & Weather, Do-It-Yourself, Ecology & Environment, Insects, Nature & Outdoors, Science Education Standards, Workshops
By Peter Madden, Aug 22, 2012
Attention all backyard explorers and rosebush whackers: this is the opportunity you’ve been waiting for. Your days of leading patient parents on perilous neighborhood expeditions are over. Put down that “machete.” Stop mushing the dog. Grab your merit badges. The big leagues are calling, and they want you on their next adventure! This Friday, August … Read more “BioBlitz: Explore the National Parks with National Geographic”
Categories: Animals, Biology, Birds, Citizen Science, Ecology & Environment, Education, Insects, Nature & Outdoors, Science Education Standards, Workshops
By Peter Madden, Aug 16, 2012
You might not realize it, but it’s always out there. Planning. Growing. Waiting for the perfect time to strike. You never quite know when it will happen. Maybe July. Maybe August. But you know it’s coming, and you can’t escape it. In an awesome display of speed and power, it bursts from an otherwise calm … Read more “Celebrate Shark Week with Some Citizen Science”
Categories: Animals, Biology, Citizen Science, Ecology & Environment, Nature & Outdoors, Ocean & Water
By Nick Fordes, Jul 18, 2012
Did you know that SciStarter has 14 projects that feature butterflies? This is a product of the growing citizen science brigade, but also the fact that butterflies offer an accessible and fun way for people of all ages to engage in citizen science. Butterflies themselves are not only beautiful to look at, but they serve … Read more “Summer is busy season for butterflies – and citizen scientists!”
Categories: Animals, Insects
