Five ways to engage in science near you…outside.

SciStarter offers something for anyone who is curious or concerned about the natural world.

In this edition, we highlight Fall projects the Girl Scouts are doing all across the nation. But anyone can participate in these projects!

Girl Scouts USA and SciStarter have joined forces on the “Think Like a Citizen Scientist Journey” featuring a handful of curated projects (some are listed below) aligned with the Outdoor STEM badges. Find dozens of other Girl Scout-approved citizen science projects on SciStarter.

If you are a Girl Scout, it’s important to start your Journey from your Volunteer Toolkit. Learn more here.

Cheers!
The SciStarter Team

Did you know that cities are sometimes referred to as urban heat islands? They can be hotter that surrounding suburban or rural areas. How does climate and weather affect your surroundings? Recording your local environmental flooding and heat observations helps NASA track climate change.

 

Location: Global

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Help scientists learn about the diet preferences of ants around the world. Their choices will inform scientists on what food resources are available to ants throughout the year.

 

Location: Global

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Where else can you enjoy nature, observe streams in your town, and snap a selfie for science? Stream Selfie helps map streams across the United States to establish good locations for water testing.

 

Location: United States

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Send your plant observations to the National Phenology Database. This allows scientists to keep track of the life cycles of plants and animals year after year.

 

Location: North America

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Do all squirrels look the same to you? Did you know there are up to three different species climbing around your parks? Count how may squirrels you see to keep track of squirrel populations and better understand tree squirrel ecology.

 

Location: Global

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Learn more about citizen science for youth. This awesome video, produced by Discovery Education in collaboration with the Girl Scouts, features SciStarter’s Founder, Darlene Cavalier, and some of your favorite citizen science projects! Consider sharing it with educators, students, troops and your young pals.

Virtual Field Trip. This first-ever girl-led virtual field trip transports students on an adventure to the Girl Scouts’ STEM Center of Excellence in Dallas, TX where STEM comes alive in meaningful ways through citizen science!

Get Started!

Discover more citizen science on the SciStarter calendar. Did you know your SciStarter dashboard helps you track your contributions to projects? Complete your profile to access free tools. Want even more citizen science? Check out SciStarter’s Project Finder! With 1100+ citizen science projects spanning every field of research, task and age group, there’s something for everyone!

Categories: About Us, Nature & Outdoors, Newsletter

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About the Author

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Lea Shell

Lea worked at North Carolina State University and the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. She previously managed education initiatives and authored SciStarter's bi-weekly newsletter. Lea is also a co-founder and co-owner of Essential Montessori, where she designs and hand-crafts learning Montessori-inspired materials for young children.