Blog: Citizen Science Projects, People, and Perspectives
By Anna Funk, Nov 15, 2021
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
By Anna Funk, Oct 14, 2021
Have you noticed that extreme weather is becoming more common? Document weather changes near you and share your data to help scientists make better weather forecasts so we can all plan for floods, droughts, hurricanes and, on a lighter note, fun, outdoor events! Our collective data can also help people in the world’s most vulnerable … Read more “Explore and Document Wild Weather Near You With These Projects”
Categories: Environment, Newsletter
By Kat Hart, Sep 28, 2021
Erin Canter found her way to the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont, in eastern Tennessee, from what she describes as a very “stereotypical science” background: white coat, gloves, sequencing DNA in a lab. But “that didn’t quite do it for me,” she says. After six months spent mostly outdoors living in a tent while … Read more “Exploring Biodiversity in Great Smoky Mountains National Park”
Categories: Biology, Environment
By Nathaniel Scharping, Sep 27, 2021
The Girl Scout Tree Promise is an ambitious effort to plant, protect and honor 5 million trees across the country in five years. Anyone, anywhere can join this global movement to address climate change, one tree at a time! Here’s how: (Optional) Plant a tree and record your good deed on the Girl Scout Tree … Read more “These Fall Projects Let Anyone Protect and Study the Trees Around Us”
Categories: Environment
By Jill Nugent, Aug 02, 2021
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
By Caroline Nickerson, Jul 30, 2021
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
By Sara Benson, David Sittenfeld and Caroline Nickerson, Jun 17, 2021
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
By Eliza Boetsch and Scott Eustis, Mar 12, 2021
Along Louisiana’s Gulf Coast, the Mississippi River Delta boasts one of the largest and most productive ecosystems on Earth. Every year, the delta provides some $12 to 47 billion in benefits to locals and beyond in the form of hurricane and flood protection, fisheries, recreation, water supply, water quality, and more. As if that weren’t … Read more “Louisiana’s Wetlands are Vanishing. Researchers Need Your Help Tracking the Loss”
Categories: Environment
By Caroline Nickerson, Oct 06, 2020
Welcome Fall with Nature’s Notebook and the Timberland Regional Library in Washington State for an event focused on documenting signs of seasonal change. Nature’s Notebook is a citizen science project that studies phenology, the study of seasons. Changes in phenological events, like flowering and animal migration, are among the most sensitive biological responses to climate … Read more “Signs of Fall with Nature’s Notebook”
Categories: Environment, Events, libraries
By Bob Hirshon, Aug 22, 2020
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