Category: Ecology & Environment

Silhouette of three people jumping happily in front of purple and blue sunset

Life-Changing Citizen Science

By Bob Hirshon, May 04, 2023

Have you ever considered exploring strange new worlds? Maybe seeking out new life and new civilizations? And then abandoned the idea because you’re too young or too old to seriously consider going boldly where no one has gone before? Well, these are completely achievable goals and they don’t require working your way through Star Fleet … Read more “Life-Changing Citizen Science”

Categories: Astronomy & Space, Citizen Science, Citizen Science Month, Climate & Weather, Ecology & Environment, Environment, Nature & Outdoors, Other, podcast

Let’s talk about trees!

By SciStarter Team, Mar 04, 2023

The Girl Scouts have teamed up with SciStarter to invite everyone to plant, protect and honor trees. Trees conserve water, reduce air pollution, improve wildlife habitats, and contribute to climate change solutions. Below, you’ll find the Girl Scout Tree Promise citizen science projects you can do to protect and honor trees. Cheers, The SciStarter Team

Categories: Citizen Science Month, Ecology & Environment, Environment, Girl Scouts, Nature & Outdoors

Science in the Snow Audio and Video Podcast

By Bob Hirshon, Jan 22, 2023

Whenever you’re out frolicking in a winter wonderland, why not take a frolicking break every now and then to measure snow depth for your friends at the Community Snow Observations project? Your observations will help them verify data obtained from satellites and other remote sensing tools, and also fill in both spatial and temporal gaps … Read more “Science in the Snow Audio and Video Podcast”

Categories: Apps, Citizen Science, Climate & Weather, Ecology & Environment, Environment, Featured Projects, Geology & Earth Sciences, Nature & Outdoors, Ocean & Water, videos

How to play in the snow…for science!

By SciStarter Team, Jan 20, 2023

Winter weather offers many unique ways to collect and share observations that advance research. If you live in a snowy place, venture outside to measure snow depth. No snow in your area? You can contribute by observing a body of water throughout the winter or even reporting how and when storms change. By working together, … Read more “How to play in the snow…for science!”

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

Photo of an Earth-viewing area of the International Space Station with holiday decorations.

Citizen Science Holiday Gift Guide

By Bob Hirshon, Dec 06, 2022

Looking for a special gift for the citizen science lover in your life? You’ve come to the right place! In this podcast, we share expert picks for over a dozen unique gifts your friends and family will enjoy while they help scientists conduct important research. Listen: https://citscipod.podbean.com/e/scistarter-holiday-gift-guide-live/ Projects and websites featured in this episode include: … Read more “Citizen Science Holiday Gift Guide”

Categories: Astronomy & Space, Biology, book, Citizen Science, Climate & Weather, Ecology & Environment, Environment, Field Guide to Citizen Science, Nature & Outdoors, Other, podcast

Feast upon these delectable citizen science projects

By SciStarter Team, Nov 22, 2022

If you’re spending time with family and friends, here are activities to do together to discover more about your mental, biological and genetic health and more. Feast upon these delectable citizen science projects guaranteed to satisfy even the most insatiable curiosity! Thank you for being part of our growing family (150,000 strong now!) of thinkers … Read more “Feast upon these delectable citizen science projects”

Categories: Animals, Biology, Birds, Ecology & Environment, Health, Nature & Outdoors, Ocean & Water, podcast

Robert Courteau with large puffball mushroom.

The Great North American FungiQuest (podcast transcript and links)

By Bob Hirshon, Nov 18, 2022

Listen to the podcast: https://citscipod.podbean.com/e/the-great-north-american-fungiquest/ Thousands of mycophiles took to the forest in October to document as many mushrooms as they could, as part of the first annual Great North American FungiQuest. In this podcast, we spoke with Robert Courteau, project creator and also founder of the non-profit group Think Fungi. Projects and other links … Read more “The Great North American FungiQuest (podcast transcript and links)”

Categories: Biology, Citizen Science, Citizen Science News, CitSci Research, Ecology & Environment, Nature & Outdoors

A mushroom on a tree in a forest.

Largest-Ever Fungi Bioblitz Catalogs the Diversity of North American Mushrooms and More

By Nathaniel Scharping, Nov 17, 2022

This fall, between September 15 and October 15, more than 30,000 volunteers combed through forests, fields and even their own backyards in search of the humble mushroom. They were participating in the Great North American FungiQuest, a massive bioblitz that aimed to find and identify as many fungi as possible in the span of just … Read more “Largest-Ever Fungi Bioblitz Catalogs the Diversity of North American Mushrooms and More”

Categories: Ecology & Environment, Nature & Outdoors

A raccoon crosses a paved road in the woods.

This Citizen Science Project Is Taking On Roadkill — and Potentially Saving Animals

By Nathaniel Scharping, Oct 31, 2022

In the United States, it is estimated that more than one million vertebrate animals are killed by vehicle collisions every day. Yet, despite the ubiquity of roadkill, there is actually little comprehensive data on how many animals are killed by cars every year. The U.S. has no national database for roadkill, and most states don’t … Read more “This Citizen Science Project Is Taking On Roadkill — and Potentially Saving Animals”

Categories: Animals, Citizen Science, Ecology & Environment, Nature & Outdoors, Project Profile

Landscape photo of tulip poplar tree and sycamores on a late fall afternoon.

Join Citizen Science Efforts to Preserve Our Forests

By Bob Hirshon, Oct 09, 2022

With forests being wiped out worldwide by climate change, deforestation, pests and plagues, trees need all the help they can get. In this episode of the SciStarter podcast, we learn about three citizen science projects that monitor and protect trees. Also, with gift-giving season right around the corner, Bob also shares a few of his … Read more “Join Citizen Science Efforts to Preserve Our Forests”

Categories: Citizen Science, Ecology & Environment, Environment, Girl Scouts, Nature & Outdoors, Other