Blog: Citizen Science Projects, People, and Perspectives
Calling all citizen scientists in the Gulf Coast! Help survey birds in the beaches and marshes most likely to be impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Cornell University’s Team eBird has produced the eBird Gulf Coast Oil Spill Bird Tracker gadget that can be embedded in your iGoogle page for quick access to the … Read more “Gulf Coast oil spill: Help survey birds at risk”
Categories: Birds, Citizen Science, Ecology & Environment
Recent earthquakes in China, Haiti, Chili, Mexico, and elsewhere have provided a clear reminder of the devastation and loss of human life that can occur when an earthquake strikes in populated areas. Though scientists cannot currently predict earthquakes, there is an amazing wealth of research being conducted around the world to provide a better understanding of … Read more “Earthquake research is shaking up citizen science”
Categories: Computers & Technology, Ecology & Environment, Geology & Earth Sciences
Around noon today, a Florida wildlife rescue worker loosened his grip on a red-shouldered hawk that had been recuperating from a serious head injury over the past two months. As the surrounding crowd cheered, the bird took flight and soared through the skies over Biscayne National Park (see the video, below). This was the official … Read more “Florida BioBlitz takes off–Friday and Saturday!”
Categories: Animals, Biology, Birds, Citizen Science, Ecology & Environment, Nature & Outdoors, Ocean & Water
The major rivers and estuaries along the northeastern coast of the U.S. are preparing for peak spawning season of herring, eels, shad, and other fish. Aquatic dwellers in the Hudson River, situated between NY and NJ, are fortunate to have the Hudson River Estuary Program and Scenic Hudson organizations looking out for them. Now through … Read more “‘Tis the season for spawning.”
Categories: Biology, Citizen Science, Ecology & Environment, Nature & Outdoors, Ocean & Water
One of my favorite books of all time is Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree, a tale about the relationship between a boy and a selfless tree that does whatever it can to make the boy happy. Even as an adult, the book still gives me a renewed appreciation for the many ways in which trees … Read more “Give back: Help map every tree in San Francisco”
Categories: Computers & Technology, Ecology & Environment, Nature & Outdoors
Here’s a great way to mix science and adventure on your next Hawaiin vacation. The Coral Reef Alliance has developed a web portal that integrates citizen science and reef monitoring to protect the ecological health of Hawaii’s reefs. The new website is intended to provide a one-stop shop for volunteers to enter data that corresponds to a … Read more “Are you a lei scientist?”
Categories: Citizen Science, Ecology & Environment, Nature & Outdoors, Ocean & Water
Now that spring has sprung in the Northern Hemisphere, Mother Nature is tempting winter-weary citizen scientists out of doors with all kinds of colorful, action-packed events. Buds are bursting forth, chatty bird couples are flirting and building nests, and the excitable atmospheric conditions of the new season are conjuring up fresh cloud patterns in the … Read more “Five springtime projects for citizen scientists”
Categories: Animals, Citizen Science, Climate & Weather, Ecology & Environment, Insects, Nature & Outdoors
It’s springtime in our Nation’s Capital, and one of my favorite organizations, Casey Trees, is enlisting community volunteers to help restore the tree population one tree at a time. Casey Trees specially trains local volunteers, known as “citizen foresters”, to lead groups of community tree planters and build awareness about the importance of urban forests. … Read more “Restore urban forests with Casey Trees”
Categories: Ecology & Environment, Geology & Earth Sciences, Nature & Outdoors
You know an organization is serious about science when they dedicate 15 years to a research project. Well, that’s exactly what the Seattle Aquarium is doing with their citizen science program — a fifteen year program to characterize and study the habitats of seven Seattle-area beaches. At the heart of the program are teams of citizen science-trained high school … Read more “The Seattle Aquarium knows their citizen science”
Categories: Animals, Ecology & Environment, Nature & Outdoors, Ocean & Water, Science Education Standards
Jellyfish, in addition to being one of many ocean creatures that terrify me, are an important part of the underwater ecosystem. However, several reports have indicated an unusually high increase in Jellyfish populations, and scientists are in need of help to understand why. Enter JellyWatch, a new citizen science project that aims to create a database of jellyfish … Read more “Tracking Jellyfish around the globe”
Categories: Animals, Ecology & Environment, Ocean & Water
