Man wearing hat photographing clouds with cell phone.

Four Ways (in One App) to Help NASA Study the Changing Planet

Researchers can accomplish amazing things these days with satellites — they can study clouds and climate, forests and land use change and even bird migrations. But with so much satellite data, it can be hard to match up measurements from the sky above with information about what’s actually on the ground. That’s where citizen scientists … Read more “Four Ways (in One App) to Help NASA Study the Changing Planet”

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

Miss Louisiana Earth Invites You to Volunteer Online & Map Where Vital Wetlands Are Being Lost

Anyone, anywhere, at any time can turn their curiosity about nature into real-world impact by volunteering online with citizen science. Caroline Nickerson, Miss Louisiana Earth, is hosting an online challenge with SciStarter, Cartoscope, Healthy Gulf and Northeastern University for the general public from August 1 – August 14 to volunteer online and map land loss. … Read more “Miss Louisiana Earth Invites You to Volunteer Online & Map Where Vital Wetlands Are Being Lost”

Categories: Citizen Science, Climate & Weather, Environment

Wicked High Tides: Citizen Scientists Plan for Sea-Level Rise

Wicked high tides, also known as king tides or astronomical high tides, are a natural phenomenon that occur several times a year in certain areas around the globe. In the Boston area, these events usually happen in March and October. This is when there is a full or new moon, and the Earth, Sun and … Read more “Wicked High Tides: Citizen Scientists Plan for Sea-Level Rise”

Categories: Citizen Science, Climate & Weather, Environment

Most People Aren’t Climate Scientists, But We Should Talk About Climate Change Anyway. Here’s How We Did It in North Carolina.

Do you find it hard to talk about climate change? You’re not alone. Surveys indicate that 72% of Americans report that they believe in climate change, but only 35% are talking about it regularly. Climate change is a challenging topic – reports of devastating wildfires, hurricanes and other events have increased in frequency, and discussing … Read more “Most People Aren’t Climate Scientists, But We Should Talk About Climate Change Anyway. Here’s How We Did It in North Carolina.”

Categories: Citizen Science, Climate & Weather, Nature & Outdoors

Watching plants with Project Budburst

Guest Post by Sarah Jones Learn more about Budburst on SciStarter. Link to https://scistarter.org/budburst Join Communities Across the World in Observing Plant Life Cycles – Any Plant, Any Place, Any Time! I haven’t always loved plants. I loved the animals that took shelter in branches, eating leaves and fruits. I loved the lake surrounded by trees … Read more “Watching plants with Project Budburst”

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

Is Rainwater Safe to Drink? Runoff Collected by Volunteers Offers Clues

Life on Earth needs water to survive. Yet, drinkable water is a rapidly dwindling resource. Out of all the water on our planet, only 2.5 percent is freshwater. And of that 2.5 percent, just 0.3 percent is readily accessible as surface water. According to FreshWaterWatch, by the year 2050, half of the world’s population will … Read more “Is Rainwater Safe to Drink? Runoff Collected by Volunteers Offers Clues”

Categories: Climate & Weather

Track Four Emerging Climate Hazards Near You

This post was originally published as a SciStarter newsletter. Sign up to receive bi-weekly citizen science in your inbox! Earth’s climate is undergoing change that poses multiple threats. The science community seeks your help in tracking four emerging climate hazards: sea-level rise, extreme temperatures, droughts and floods. Your safety always comes first. Please only participate in … Read more “Track Four Emerging Climate Hazards Near You”

Categories: Climate & Weather, Environment, Nature & Outdoors, Newsletter

Boston is WICKED hot. This is what they’re doing about it.

Want to learn more about this initiative? Check out the Wicked Hot Boston series, Parts One and Two. Want to address climate hazards in your community? Head over to SciStarter.org/NOAA to find a citizen science project. Wicked Hot Boston It’s true: the world is getting hotter, and Boston is becoming WICKED hot.  This past summer, … Read more “Boston is WICKED hot. This is what they’re doing about it.”

Categories: Citizen Science, Climate & Weather, Events

Human Impact: Climate Change and Citizen Science

This blog post is an edited excerpt from Human Impact, a new publication from Science Connected. Edited by Kate Stone and Shayna Keyles, Human Impact delivers 17 true tales of how humanity has changed the Earth, for better or for worse. This chapter appears in Human Impact as “Act Now: Engaging in Citizen Science,” and includes contributions … Read more “Human Impact: Climate Change and Citizen Science”

Categories: Citizen Science, Climate & Weather, Environment

Wicked Hot Boston: Urban Heat Island (UHI) Mapping

Want to map extreme heat in your community? Anyone, anywhere can take action with ISeeChange. It’s not just in your head; Boston really is hotter in the summer. When urban areas are warmer than surrounding non-urban environments, we experience a phenomenon called the urban heat island (UHI) effect.  Cities are filled with large amounts of … Read more “Wicked Hot Boston: Urban Heat Island (UHI) Mapping”

Categories: Citizen Science, Climate & Weather, Events, Nature & Outdoors, Project Profile, Science Policy, Science Practices