Blog: Citizen Science Projects, People, and Perspectives
By Guest Contributor, Jan 31, 2017
By Adam Reyer, Project Director for Global Fishing Watch Hundreds of millions of people depend on the ocean for their livelihoods, and almost 3 billion rely on it as a protein source. But countless threats — overfishing, destructive fishing practices, bycatch, dishonest catch reporting, habitat destruction — threaten our oceans and the people who depend … Read more “Help fight illegal fishing with Global Fishing Watch”
Categories: Citizen Science, Guest Contributor, Project Profile
By Catherine Price, Jan 28, 2017
Nearly 50 million Americans live with one or more of 80 recognized autoimmune disorders, conditions in which the body’s immune system attacks healthy cells or tissues. Though widespread, the search for treatments for these conditions can be convoluted and frustrating. Autoimmune Citizen Science founder Vivek Mandan experienced this frustration first-hand as he struggled to deal … Read more “New Hope for Autoimmune Disease Treatment with Citizen Science”
Categories: Citizen Science, Project Profile
By Guest Contributor, Jan 26, 2017
By: Lishka Arata Many things distinguish penguins from rocks. There’s color difference (usually), behavior (penguins waddle, rocks don’t), social structure (rocks don’t have one) — the list goes on. But why might someone need to distinguish between rocks and penguins? It’s a skill central to a long-term project that relies on citizen scientists, working from … Read more “How to Tell a Rock from a Penguin: It’s Harder Than It Sounds”
Categories: Birds, Citizen Science, Guest Contributor, Project Profile
By Russ Campbell, Jan 12, 2017
Why did the turtle cross the road? Change the “why” to a “where,” and conservation biologist Andrew Badje just might be able to tell you. Through his work with the Wisconsin Turtle Conservation Program, Badje collects turtle road crossing data to help map populations, especially at precarious road and rail crossings.
Categories: Animals, Citizen Science, Project Profile
By Kaitlin Vortherms, Dec 14, 2016
For many new parents, trying to figure out what a baby needs can feel like taking care of a tiny alien. It doesn’t speak your language and yet you have to figure out what it needs to stay alive. And while there is no shortage of advice about how to manage your child’s eating and … Read more “Eat, Sleep, Repeat: Crowdsourcing The Data Of A Baby’s Typical Day”
Categories: Citizen Science, Project Profile
By Carolyn Graybeal, Nov 08, 2016
For years, weather-monitoring agencies around the globe have collected data to help determine whether and how tropical cyclones — called hurricanes in the US — change over time. But another thing that changes over time is the technology used to record storm data. This, combined with changes in record keeping standards has created an inconsistent … Read more “Coming to Consensus on Classifying Cyclones”
Categories: Citizen Science, Climate & Weather, Project Profile
By Sharman Apt Russell, Nov 02, 2016
I believe that citizen science is about citizenship as well as science. By this, I don’t mean citizenship in a specific country, but in a larger community. As a citizen scientist focusing on the natural world, I become a better citizen of that world—the world of tree frogs, say, or hummingbirds or dragonflies. Citizen science makes … Read more “Celebrating the citizen in citizen science”
Categories: Birds, Citizen Science, Ecology & Environment, Project Profile
By Russ Campbell, Oct 26, 2016
Carl Sandburg Home National Historical Site stretches over 246 rolling acres in Flat Rock, N.C. The writer and poet Sandburg moved to the property in 1945 for the solitude the natural landscape provides. Today, it is a place where nature, science, and creativity intertwine. Five miles of trails meander throughout the site – some leisurely … Read more “The Poetry of Science at the Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site”
Categories: Citizen Science, Climate & Weather, Nature & Outdoors, Project Profile
By Guest Contributor, Oct 19, 2016
What if you had access to air quality data — minute-by- minute — from hundreds of locations in your community at the same time? How would you manage that data– and how would you share it with your local residents? The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is offering two communities $40,000 each to help figure that out. Currently, environmental … Read more “Enter EPA’s Smart City Air Challenge!”
Categories: Citizen Science, Project Profile
By Sharman Apt Russell, Oct 11, 2016
We tend to think of famine in human terms. But animal populations also experience wide-spread hunger, and the hundreds of emaciated young seals and sea lions stranded on California beaches in the past year were a poignant example. Fortunately, a large team of citizen scientists at The Marine Mammal Center—an animal hospital and research institute … Read more “Saving California’s Seals and Sea Lions”
Categories: Animals, Citizen Science, Nature & Outdoors, Ocean & Water, Project Profile
