A firefly flashes on a black background

SciStarter Podcast: Sensations of Summer

Every season has its own unique sights, sounds and other sensations. In this episode of the SciStarter podcast, we look at fireflies, listen to cicadas, feel the ocean waves and extend our senses beyond the bounds of our planet. Audio Podcast Video Podcast Credits: Firefly Closeup Terry Priest CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED Surfing Beach Video … Read more “SciStarter Podcast: Sensations of Summer”

Categories: Animals, Astronomy & Space, Biology, Citizen Science, Ecology & Environment, Featured Projects, Insects, Nature & Outdoors, Ocean & Water, podcast, videos

Dragonfly sitting on a stalk of wheat

Days of Dragonflies, Fireflies and Fly Fishing

It’s the season for emergences, whether you’re a dragonfly, firefly, periodical cicada or fly fishing enthusiast! The warm weather brings a variety of citizen science opportunities, some of them fleeting, so we hope you can get outdoors and experience the wonders of nature with your friends and family, and help document them for the many … Read more “Days of Dragonflies, Fireflies and Fly Fishing”

Categories: Animals, Biology, Citizen Science, Ecology & Environment, Environment, Insects, Nature & Outdoors, Newsletter, Ocean & Water, Other

Cozy up to these indoor activities that actually help advance research

Hundreds of activities listed on SciStarter are designed for you to participate right from home. That’s right…you can help advance scientific research in your PJs if you want. It’s perfect now that cold weather is approaching for many of us! Here are five projects to get you started. Cheers, The SciStarter Team

Categories: Animals, Archeology, Astronomy & Space, Biology, Birds, Citizen Science, Ecology & Environment, Education, Featured Projects

Spy on animals around the world while contributing to ecological research

You don’t need to go on a safari to see wild creatures in their natural habitats. There are a number of scientific studies of wild creatures that depend on the eyes of observers just like you. Take part to be transported (virtually) to ecosystems around the world through images and videos (sometimes even livestreams!) where … Read more “Spy on animals around the world while contributing to ecological research”

Categories: Animals, Biology, Birds, Citizen Science, Ecology & Environment, Education, Featured Projects, Nature & Outdoors, Newsletter

Learn More About Your Health While Helping Science

With flu season right around the corner, it’s the time of year where you might be thinking about your health a little more than normal. Participating in these simple projects not only gives you access to more data on your health, it helps researchers better understand the human body. Help track disease outbreaks, sharpen your … Read more “Learn More About Your Health While Helping Science”

Categories: Biology, Citizen Science, Education, Health, podcast

Put the Fun in Fungi with SciStarter This Fall!

Think your backyard is filled with just plants and animals? Think again! Fungi, which comprise an entirely different kingdom of the natural world, can be found everywhere in nature. These hardy, surprising organisms carry out crucial processes on Earth, like recycling dead organic matter. Even so, fungi are still wildly understudied compared to plants and … Read more “Put the Fun in Fungi with SciStarter This Fall!”

Categories: Biology, Ecology & Environment, Education, Nature & Outdoors

5 ways to help combat pollutants to protect Earth

Pollution. It’s a pervasive problem that impacts all living things on Earth negatively. Here are five ways you can help combat pollutants and protect Earth’s natural resources. By reducing pollution and cleaning up our environment, we can all assist scientists in preserving our biosphere. Your participation matters! The SciStarter Team

Categories: Biology, Citizen Science, Climate & Weather, Ecology & Environment, Education, Environment, Featured Projects

Prepare for Shark Week with these five projects that help shark science!

Sharks are the stars of Discovery Channel’s Shark Week, starting July 23rd. They’re also critical members of our ocean ecosystems. But many of the more than 500 species of shark are endangered today as they face increasing threats from humans. Help scientists learn more about sharks, their behaviors, populations and environments, by sharing your pictures … Read more “Prepare for Shark Week with these five projects that help shark science!”

Categories: Animals, Biology, Ocean & Water

5 ways you can aid environmental research with your camera

Did you know? Your camera (or smartphone) is a fantastic tool you can use to help scientists better understand the world and answer big questions affecting us and our planet. Next time you’re taking a walk, visiting a local park, heading out on an outdoor adventure or even just exploring your own basement, you can … Read more “5 ways you can aid environmental research with your camera”

Categories: Animals, Apps, Biology, Citizen Science, Ecology & Environment, Environment, Featured Projects, Nature & Outdoors