Blog: Citizen Science Projects, People, and Perspectives
By John Ohab, Jul 12, 2011
Citizen science is taking off in Puerto Rico! According to a story at Ciencia PR, citizen scientists are playing an important role in the conservation efforts for the Hacienca La Esperanza Reserve, which houses the only coastal forest in Northern Puerto Rico. Through the Puerto Rico Conservation Trust’s Citizen Science Program, volunteers have the opportunity to explore and observe the … Read more “Citizen Science in Puerto Rico”
Categories: Biology, Citizen Science, Ecology & Environment, In the News, Science Education Standards
By John Ohab, Jul 11, 2011
In July of 2009, a friend and I arrived at a lake to collect water samples for work. We had worked at the lake many times, but something was different that day: several hundred dragonflies were flying over the grass. We often saw dragonflies, but there were 50 times the usual number and they weren’t … Read more “Studying Dragonfly Swarms with Citizen Science”
Categories: Animals, Biology, Citizen Science, Ecology & Environment, Guest Contributor, In the News, Insects, Nature & Outdoors, Ocean & Water
By John Ohab, May 09, 2011
Nice shout-out from the Associated Press this weekend: Once restricted mainly to counting birds – most famously, in Audubon’s 111-year-old Christmas Bird Count – citizen science has expanded rapidly in recent years, both in number and variety of projects. Some projects count things – fireflies, ladybugs, frogs, herring. Others record data on water quality, weather, … Read more “Citizen science: Armies of volunteers aid research”
Categories: Citizen Science, In the News
By Anne Toomey, Apr 14, 2011
Energy is a strange thing. It floats around you, fills you up until you’re about ready to burst, and then it skips off, leaving you to keep up as best you can. Last Thursday and Friday were two full days of such energy, when 60 professionals from such exotic places as Alaska, Colombia and New … Read more “Conversations about conservation: public participation in scientific research”
Categories: Biology, Birds, Citizen Science, Climate & Weather, Ecology & Environment, In the News, Nature & Outdoors, Ocean & Water, Science Education Standards, Science Policy
By John Ohab, Feb 28, 2011
This is National Invasive Species Awareness Week! Invasive species represent a significant threat to native plants, animals, and humans. They cause enormous disruptions in the natural ecological balance, inducing erosion, crowding out food sources, and reducing biodiversity. Invasive species are also a significant drain on the national economy. If you’re in the Washington, D.C. area today … Read more “Get involved in National Invasive Species Awareness Week 2011”
Categories: Animals, Biology, Ecology & Environment, Geology & Earth Sciences, In the News, Insects, Nature & Outdoors, Science Policy
By John Ohab, Jan 11, 2011
Below, I’ve listed the top 5 Science For Citizens member blog posts according to the number of visits received. It’s easy to start your very own Sci4Ctis member blog. Start sharing your adventures with other citizen scientists! 5. Rent a Remote-Controlled Telescope! From Michael It’s pretty hard to be an amateur astronomer without your own … Read more “Top Member Blog Posts of 2010”
Categories: Animals, Astronomy & Space, Biology, Birds, Citizen Science, Ecology & Environment, In the News, Insects, Nature & Outdoors, Ocean & Water, Science Education Standards
By John Ohab, Dec 31, 2010
Below, I’ve listed the top 10 Science for Citizen blog posts according to the number of visits. Thanks for joining our journey in our inaugural year. Wait until you hear what we’ve got cooking for 2011! Happy New Year from the Sci4Cits team! 10. The hummingbird versus Godzilla–on video! To fans of hummingbirds and “nature … Read more “10 most visited Science for Citizens blog posts of 2010”
Categories: Animals, Apps, Biology, Birds, Citizen Science, Climate & Weather, Computers & Technology, Ecology & Environment, Geology & Earth Sciences, In the News, Nature & Outdoors, Ocean & Water, Science Education Standards
By Darlene Cavalier, Sep 30, 2010
Science for Citizens is getting some attention over at Motherboard.TV, an online video network. Co-founder Michael Gold and I were interviewed by Jordan Keenan of Motherboard this past spring at Harvard during the Humanity Plus Summit where I spoke about citizen science. Here are the slides from that presentation. You’re welcome to them. In the … Read more “And now, a word from our egos”
Categories: Citizen Science, In the News
By Susan West, Sep 15, 2010
Ruth Brooks, a gardener with a soft spot for snails, has just won the BBC’s “So You Want to Be a Scientist?” contest. You may recall that she was our favorite when we reported in April on the four finalists for the contest. Brooks’s ground-breaking (if slow) project showed that, contrary to what many scientists … Read more “Snail sleuth wins BBC amateur scientist contest”
Categories: Animals, Biology, Citizen Science, Contest, In the News, Nature & Outdoors
By John Ohab, Aug 05, 2010
On the list of reasons to watch The Rachel Maddow Show, one wouldn’t ordinarily expect to find “lessons in ornithology” near the top. Well, after Monday night’s show, that’s exactly what viewers got! In the video clip below, Maddow explains how she was recently walking her dog in a western Massachusetts forest when she heard … Read more “Is Rachel Maddow a citizen scientist?”
Categories: Animals, Birds, Computers & Technology, In the News, Nature & Outdoors