A firefly flashes on a black background

SciStarter Podcast: Sensations of Summer

Every season has its own unique sights, sounds and other sensations. In this episode of the SciStarter podcast, we look at fireflies, listen to cicadas, feel the ocean waves and extend our senses beyond the bounds of our planet. Audio Podcast Video Podcast Credits: Firefly Closeup Terry Priest CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED Surfing Beach Video … Read more “SciStarter Podcast: Sensations of Summer”

Categories: Animals, Astronomy & Space, Biology, Citizen Science, Ecology & Environment, Featured Projects, Insects, Nature & Outdoors, Ocean & Water, podcast, videos

Dragonfly sitting on a stalk of wheat

Days of Dragonflies, Fireflies and Fly Fishing

It’s the season for emergences, whether you’re a dragonfly, firefly, periodical cicada or fly fishing enthusiast! The warm weather brings a variety of citizen science opportunities, some of them fleeting, so we hope you can get outdoors and experience the wonders of nature with your friends and family, and help document them for the many … Read more “Days of Dragonflies, Fireflies and Fly Fishing”

Categories: Animals, Biology, Citizen Science, Ecology & Environment, Environment, Insects, Nature & Outdoors, Newsletter, Ocean & Water, Other

Prepare for Shark Week with these five projects that help shark science!

Sharks are the stars of Discovery Channel’s Shark Week, starting July 23rd. They’re also critical members of our ocean ecosystems. But many of the more than 500 species of shark are endangered today as they face increasing threats from humans. Help scientists learn more about sharks, their behaviors, populations and environments, by sharing your pictures … Read more “Prepare for Shark Week with these five projects that help shark science!”

Categories: Animals, Biology, Ocean & Water

C*Sci 2023 – Reports From the Field!

Introduction Hundreds of delegates from around the world converged at Arizona State University (ASU) for the Citizen Science Association’s C*Sci 2023 conference, May 22-26, 2023 to exchange knowledge and help shape and advance opportunities to engage the public in scientific research. Summarizing a week of action-packed days in a single blog post won’t convey the … Read more “C*Sci 2023 – Reports From the Field!”

Categories: Affiliate Tools, Alzheimers, Amphibians, Animals, API, Astronomy & Space, Biology, Birds, Citizen Science, Citizen Science Conference, CitSci Research, Climate & Weather, Ecology & Environment, Events, Featured Projects, Insects, libraries, Library, Ocean & Water, Science Policy, Science Practices, Staff Spotlight, University, Use of Citizen Science data, Workshops

Science in the Snow Audio and Video Podcast

Whenever you’re out frolicking in a winter wonderland, why not take a frolicking break every now and then to measure snow depth for your friends at the Community Snow Observations project? Your observations will help them verify data obtained from satellites and other remote sensing tools, and also fill in both spatial and temporal gaps … Read more “Science in the Snow Audio and Video Podcast”

Categories: Apps, Citizen Science, Climate & Weather, Ecology & Environment, Environment, Featured Projects, Geology & Earth Sciences, Nature & Outdoors, Ocean & Water, videos

Feast upon these delectable citizen science projects

If you’re spending time with family and friends, here are activities to do together to discover more about your mental, biological and genetic health and more. Feast upon these delectable citizen science projects guaranteed to satisfy even the most insatiable curiosity! Thank you for being part of our growing family (150,000 strong now!) of thinkers … Read more “Feast upon these delectable citizen science projects”

Categories: Animals, Biology, Birds, Ecology & Environment, Health, Nature & Outdoors, Ocean & Water, podcast

Simple ways to learn about and help koalas, kangaroos, and coastlines

Looking for new ways to spend some of your spare time? Check out the SciStarter Affiliates page featuring dozens of gold-star projects linked directly to your SciStarter Dashboard. To get you started, we’re featuring five Affiliate projects below. Cheers! The SciStarter Team  

Categories: Alzheimers, Amphibians, Animals, Bats, Biology, Birds, Citizen Science, Insects, Nature & Outdoors, Newsletter, Ocean & Water

Image of shark on reef with small, colorful reef fish.

Tracking Sharks and Listening to Rays

Sharks get a lot more attention than, say, sea cucumbers, possibly because sharks tend to have much bigger teeth. They even get their own week! (note to Discovery Channel: please find room for Sea Cucumber Week). And yet, as marine scientist and shark expert David Shiffman points out, scientists are still discovering new things about … Read more “Tracking Sharks and Listening to Rays”

Categories: Animals, Biology, Citizen Science, Ecology & Environment, Nature & Outdoors, Ocean & Water

A hand holding a smartphone in the woods. On screen is the Mountain Rain or Snow website.

How can it snow when temperatures are above freezing? Mountain Rain or Snow has the answer — and wants your help studying it

A glimpse at the temperature during the next snowfall might surprise you: It may not actually be below freezing outside. Don’t worry, your thermometer isn’t broken, and you didn’t miss a memo about a change in the laws of physics. There’s a straightforward reason why it can snow above 32°F — though it does make … Read more “How can it snow when temperatures are above freezing? Mountain Rain or Snow has the answer — and wants your help studying it”

Categories: Citizen Science, Environment, Nature & Outdoors, Ocean & Water, Other

Sea Level Rise Citizen Science with the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History

The curved arm of Cape Cod jutting out into the Atlantic with 560 miles of beautiful coastline hints at the Cape’s glacial beginnings and its vulnerability to sea levels, now rising as a direct result of climate change. A disappearing island, a lost clam shack and a Beluga whale found in landlocked Vermont were all … Read more “Sea Level Rise Citizen Science with the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History”

Categories: Citizen Science, Ecology & Environment, Ocean & Water