ZomBees, bats, and roadkill! Five macabre citizen science projects for Halloween.

If you are faint of heart, read no further! For these projects are so creepy and spooky and altogether ooky that merely glancing at them could lead to serious sensations of ickiness and dread!

What? Still reading?

Okay. But don’t say we didn’t warn you…

Cheers!
The SciStarter Team

You can run into your room and pull the covers over your head… but you still won’t be alone! All manner of creatures are cavorting under your bed, partying in your pillow and even living right inside you. Do you dare discover what’s there?

Location: Global

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What would Halloween be without the dark? Thanks to light pollution, we may soon find out, and that’s bad news for nocturnal creatures, like bats, moths and, of course, vampires.

Sign up now to be part of a special Halloween research project to measure light pollution after the moon sets at 9 pm!

Location: Global

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ZomBees are honeybees infected with a parasite that takes over their brains. If you’d like to help save bees from this terrible fate, join the team at ZomBee Watch and report when you see a bee behaving like a moth (flying around a light, alone, for example).

PS: We have a Facebook Live Q&A at 1:00 PM EST today. Join us or watch the recording!

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The car is one of wildlife’s most dangerous predators. Join Roadkill Reports to document and prevent animal deaths on roadways.

Location: Global

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Cave Hollow Pit

The scariest thing about bats is that they’re dying out. Fortunately, scientists all over the world are rallying to save them, and you can help! Just go to SciStarter.org and use the keyword “bat” in the “Find a Project” box.

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Looking for a great—and Halloween appropriate—way to introduce a child to citizen science? Try Bat Count, written by Anna Forrester and illustrated by Susan Detwiler. In this picture book, Jojo and her family count bats to help scientists learn how to protect them.

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Check out SciStarter’s online and printable monthly calendar of events and holidays (like National Dog Day) linked to relevant citizen science projects.

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In this podcast episode, learn more about iNaturalist, a free app that allows anyone, anywhere to contribute to a global record of biodiversity by uploading pictures of plants and animals with their smartphone or computer.

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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 citizen science projects spanning every field of research, task and age group, there’s something for everyone!

 

Categories: Animals, Bats, Biology, book, EarthSchool, Insects, Newsletter

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About the Author

Bob Hirshon

Bob Hirshon

Bob Hirshon heads up Springtail Media, specializing in science media and digital entertainment. He is Principal Investigator for the NSF-supported National Park Science Challenge, an augmented reality adventure that takes place in National Parks. Hirshon headed up the Kinetic City family of science projects, including the Peabody Award winning children’s radio drama Kinetic City Super Crew, McGraw-Hill book series and Codie Award winning website and education program. Hirshon can be heard on XM/Sirius Radio’s Kids Place Live as “Bob the Science Slob”, sharing science news and answering children’s questions. At SciStarter, Bob edits the Citizen Science Podcast.