This summer, whether you’re at home, fishing on a lake, or walking along the beach, consider getting involved in one or more of the citizen science projects featured below. Each one empowers us to keep an eye on the health of our water sources.
Cheers!
The SciStarter Team
More than one-third of us drink water that runs through streams. But how clean are those streams? To find out, we first need to know where they are. Share a picture of your local stream to help create the first-of-its-kind national map of streams.
Location: United States
Do you know what kind of pipes your drinking water flows through? By just using a penny and a magnet, you can contribute to a national inventory of tap water pipes as a first step towards safe drinking water.
Location: United States
Learn how to monitor your local water quality, share that data, analyze your findings, and then take action to protect water resources all over the world.
Do you see trash and debris near or in rivers, streams, lakes, or beaches? Researchers want to know where debris should be collected along coastlines and waterways, and you can help by using an app to map debris. Then, of course, we hope you’ll safely dispose of it.
Location: Global
The Surfrider Foundation has dozens of coastal testing sites. Use their map to find a location near you and sign up for training to help monitor water quality at beaches to ensure coasts are safe for recreation.
Location: Coastal Communities
Have you ever seen a fish climb a ladder? You can now! Through an online video, you can peek in on herring using a fish ladder to migrate through the Mystic River in the Boston-area. Researchers invite you to count the number of herring (and other sea creatures) you see using the ladder so they can monitor the vitality of the river.
Location: Online Only
SciStarter provides a free, public Google calendar of holidays (like Hug Your Cat Day) linked to relevant citizen science projects and events. Learn more and download the printable July calendar here.
This episode spotlights EarthEcho International and one of the organization’s signature programs, the EarthEcho Water Challenge. Kicking off in March each year on World Water Day, EarthEcho encourages participation in the Water Challenge year-round. Founded by the grandchildren of ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau, EarthEcho’s mission is to inspire young people throughout the world to take action for a more sustainable future. Listen here.
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!
