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Help scientists find things that go bump in the night!
Just in time for Halloween, here are our picks for citizen science projects that will help ward off primal fears, conspiracy theories and creature phobias. The cure for fear is knowledge, so let science light the way!
Not our friends at Globe at Night. In fact, they’re studying light pollution that interferes with the behavior of nocturnal animals and makes stargazing all but impossible. Sign up to help these intrepid explorers study the night sky.
Location: Global
Image credit: Pezibear from Pixabay
If you can say that with excitement rather than fear, then HerpMapper needs you! Your observations of reptiles and amphibians will be used for research, conservation and preservation purposes, helping to protect the world’s snakes, lizards, crocodilians, frogs, toads and turtles.
Location: Global
Image credit: skeeze from Pixabay
… which spider’s cutest of them all?”
MAGIC MIRROR: “I’d say Neodietrichia, the tiny arachnid so shy that no one knew it even existed until recently. And if you want to see for yourself, might I suggest you join The Search for Neodietrichia? You’ll help scientists figure out the range of these little guys.”
YOU: “Thanks, Magic Mirror!”
Location: North America
Image credit: Marc Milne
One of the scariest things wild animals have to face is high-speed car traffic. Join Roadkill Reports and track where animals are being killed to help researchers pinpoint problem spots where steps can be taken to mitigate risk.
Location: Global
Image credit: Roadkill Reports
Who will stop the terrifying spread of mistruths, deceptions, distortions, hyperbole and outright flummery that now muddle our thinking and poison our discourse? YOU, thanks to your participation in Public Editor, an online project where you’ll learn to identify over 40 different types of reasoning error, and then use your superpower to vet the quality of actual news articles.
Location: Online
Image credit: Public Editor
SciStarter is featured at this year’s SciFest All Access – a Virtual STEM Expo – brought to you by the USA Science & Engineering Festival. Until October 31, come visit the SciStarter and Science Cheerleader booths, online!
Worldwide Engagement for Digitizing Biocollections, or WeDigBio, is a 4-day event that engages participants online and onsite in digitizing handwritten labels of natural history collections. It ends today, October 18, though you can participate in digitization projects year-round! Listen to SciStarter’s latest podcast episode to learn more.
Image credit: Smithsonian Transcription Center
In Boston, MA; Washington, DC; the Triangle, NC; Waco, TX; or Phoenix, Arizona? Apply by midnight on Sunday, 10/18, to add your voice to a global citizen discussion with people from over 75 countries. Your input will be used to feed into global negotiations about how the Internet should be governed. Selected participants who attend both sessions (October 24 & 25) will receive a $75 gift card by mail after completion. No prior experience or special skills are needed!
Every Monday at 6 PM ET, SciStarter and the NC State University Citizen Science Campus co-host “Make it Count Monday.” Join us online to learn about citizen science and how you can get involved in projects to advance research in North Carolina…and beyond!
Join SciStarter and Bradley Beach Public Library on ZOOM to learn about citizen science and how YOU can accelerate Alzheimer’s research by playing a game online. All are welcome! RSVP to join us on October 21 at 3:30 PM ET.
Citizen Science and Libraries Event Series
Thanks to support from the National Library of Medicine, SciStarter is partnering with libraries across the country to host virtual events that provide real-time, step-by-step project instructions, Q&As with project scientists and engaging discussions about citizen science across all levels of experience. Join us for the online events!
New on the Blogs
8 Fun Science Experiments You Can Easily do at Home, via the SciStarter Blog
Is Rainwater Safe to Drink? Runoff Collected by Volunteers Offers Clues, via Discover Magazine
3 Ways to Help Save Monarch Butterflies, via Science Connected
More from SciStarter
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!
