Four Smartfin surfers with surfboards and lab coats pose on the beach.

With Smartfin, Surfers Collect Ocean Data While They Hang Ten

Oceans give our world life. Phytoplankton breathe out 70 percent of our oxygen, and the oceans’  currents and other physical properties are responsible for our weather and climate. Scientists have long been keeping tabs on the ocean with vast networks of sensors, satellites and other equipment, in order to understand more about how it works … Read more “With Smartfin, Surfers Collect Ocean Data While They Hang Ten”

Categories: Ecology & Environment, Nature & Outdoors, Ocean & Water, Tools

Meet the Partners Hiking 17,000 Miles for Citizen Science and the Environment

On June 21, 2019, Sonya Richmond and Sean Morton took the first steps on an odyssey that would take them across the second-largest country on Earth. The duo is currently in the middle of a quest to walk the entirety of the Trans Canada Trail, a network of paths that stretches for thousands of miles … Read more “Meet the Partners Hiking 17,000 Miles for Citizen Science and the Environment”

Categories: Ecology & Environment, Nature & Outdoors

A Canadian Summer of Science

Summer is still here in the Northern Hemisphere and many people are maximizing time spent outdoors as they enjoy the season’s sunshine and temperate weather. In this piece, we share citizen science summer opportunities tailored for our friends to the north, the Great North:  Canada!  Canada is home to numerous citizen science organizations and opportunities … Read more “A Canadian Summer of Science”

Categories: Animals, Bats, Birds, Citizen Science, Ecology & Environment, Environment, Nature & Outdoors

Text says "National Moth Week, Global Citizen Science, 10 years" alongside a cartoon drawing of a moth.

Celebrate National Moth Week July 17-25

SciStarter is partnering with National Moth Week (available in 50+ countries)! July 17 through 25, people of all ages are gathering to explore and learn about the wonderful world of moths. There are over 1,000(!) registered mothing events to choose from. Find one near you or sign up to host an event of your own! Finding moths is … Read more “Celebrate National Moth Week July 17-25”

Categories: Animals, Citizen Science, Ecology & Environment, Insects

How Making a Picnic for Ants Can Help Us Understand This Crucial Species

In its 4.5 billion year history, our planet has experienced five mass extinctions. Many scientists believe we are on the verge of a sixth mass extinction, and this one is on us. Humans are to blame. Planet at Risk The consequences of our actions too often go unseen. The impacts caused by driving a car … Read more “How Making a Picnic for Ants Can Help Us Understand This Crucial Species”

Categories: Ecology & Environment

How One Person in Pakistan Made a Difference for Air Quality

Air quality impacts our health, our quality of life and even the length of our lives. Most people don’t think about what’s in the air they breathe — but perhaps they should. That’s the driving force behind the Pakistan Air Quality Initiative. The citizen science project wants to let people know what’s in their air. … Read more “How One Person in Pakistan Made a Difference for Air Quality”

Categories: Ecology & Environment, Other

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

Environmental Justice and Community-driven Research: Twitter Chat on November 13

Guest Post by Lynn Chesnut (@ramblynn1) Citizen science projects address a wide variety of research needs from bee conservation to light pollution. This type of citizen science typically involves volunteers collecting data for projects created by “expert” scientists, and volunteer involvement often ends there. But there’s another citizen science. A citizen science that involves volunteers … Read more “Environmental Justice and Community-driven Research: Twitter Chat on November 13”

Categories: Citizen Science, Ecology & Environment, Science Policy, Science Practices, Tools

Museums are Full of Forgotten Treasures. You Can Help Find Them

Around the world, in thousands of museums, there are millions of specimens representing the known biological diversity of our world. Each one of those specimens is a physical snapshot of time, prepared and preserved by a collector in a carefully curated collection. They’re often pressed in the pages of books, sketched into drawings and notes, … Read more “Museums are Full of Forgotten Treasures. You Can Help Find Them”

Categories: Citizen Science, Ecology & Environment

The Government is Scaling Back Water Quality Protections. These Surfers are Picking up the Slack

In 1984, a small group of California surfers were fed up with the development and water pollution at their favorite break, Malibu’s Surfrider Beach. They took their environmental concerns to California State Parks officials — and prevailed. The Surfrider Foundation was born. Since then, the nonprofit has kept its focus on improving coastal water quality. … Read more “The Government is Scaling Back Water Quality Protections. These Surfers are Picking up the Slack”

Categories: Citizen Science, Ecology & Environment