Blog: Citizen Science Projects, People, and Perspectives
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 Elizabeth Walter, Apr 13, 2011
As spring revs up to full gear, I enjoy taking runs around my neighborhood to enjoy the colorful bursts of flower and bits of cheerful birdsong. If you too have a soft-spot for feathered creatures, consider becoming a citizen science observer for one of these three great projects! If you live in a city or … Read more “Birds on the brain”
Categories: Animals, Biology, Birds, Citizen Science, Ecology & Environment, Nature & Outdoors, Science Education Standards
By John Ohab, Apr 08, 2011
Could you come up with a new way to track submarines? Could you outsmart a submarine commander? If you think you’re up to challenge, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) could use your help! DARPA is inviting citizens to get in the virtual driver seat of a new video game: the Continuous Trail Unmanned … Read more “The Hunt for Red October: Citizen Science Edition”
Categories: Citizen Science, Computers & Technology, Gaming, Geology & Earth Sciences, Nature & Outdoors, Ocean & Water
By John Ohab, Mar 19, 2011
Did you know that you can contribute to science by blowing bubbles? It’s true! The Open Air Laboratories (OPAL) network is asking citizen scientists in England to use bubbles to calculate wind direction and speed. All you need to do is create a “bubble cone” using a piece of paper and some tape. Then, with some … Read more “How to contribute to science by blowing bubbles”
Categories: Animals, Biology, Birds, Chemistry, Geology & Earth Sciences, Nature & Outdoors, Ocean & Water
By Anne Toomey, Mar 09, 2011
Whoooohoo!!! … Read more
Categories: Animals, Astronomy & Space, Biology, Birds, Citizen Science, Do-It-Yourself, Ecology & Environment, Nature & Outdoors, Science Education Standards
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, Feb 21, 2011
Have you ever seen the Milky Way from where you live? Most of us have not, and it’s largely due to increased light pollution from outdoor lighting. Light pollution not only wastes billions of dollars a year in energy and money but it causes human sleep disorders and disrupts habits critical to ecology. Globe at … Read more “Be a star: join the international star-hunt!”
Categories: Apps, Astronomy & Space, Computers & Technology, Nature & Outdoors
By Anne Toomey, Feb 18, 2011
Ponder for a moment this quote written by Aldo Leopold in the late 1940s: “We can be ethical only in relation to something we can see, feel, understand, or otherwise have faith in.” Food for thought, especially if you are a citizen scientist like I am. And even more so if you are a citizen … Read more “How citizen science will save the planet”
Categories: Biology, Citizen Science, Climate & Weather, Ecology & Environment, Nature & Outdoors, Science Education Standards, Science Policy
By John Ohab, Feb 17, 2011
Shake off your Valentine’s Day chocolate-induced haze and break out those binoculars: The Great Backyard Bird Count 2011 takes place this Friday through next Monday, February 18 to 21. The Great Backyard Bird Count is an annual four-day event during which bird watchers count birds to create a real-time snapshot of where birds are located … Read more “Join The Great Backyard Bird Count this weekend!”
Categories: Animals, Biology, Birds, Citizen Science, Ecology & Environment, Nature & Outdoors
By John Ohab, Jan 28, 2011
As record levels of snow blanket much of the United States this year, Science For Citizens is collaborating with an important climate research project at the University of Waterloo called Snow Tweets. We’re pleased that this is the first of many scientific projects that you’ll be able to do on Science for Citizens. To help researchers … Read more “Snowed In? Contribute to Science!”
Categories: Citizen Science, Climate & Weather, Computers & Technology, Ecology & Environment, Nature & Outdoors, Ocean & Water