Become a Bat Detective

We couldn’t have asked for a better citizen science project to start off October, a month often associated with Halloween and all things spooky. Introducing Bat Detective, a project that enlists citizen scientists to screen sound recordings of bats to classify their distinct calls. Bats are nocturnal, making them very difficult to spot with the … Read more “Become a Bat Detective”

Categories: Animals, Bats, Biology, Citizen Science, Climate & Weather, Ecology & Environment, Insects, Nature & Outdoors

SciStarter Unites Citizen Science with DIY Community

A painter cannot paint without brushes. Similarly, a scientist cannot work without tools. PLOTS, the Public Laboratory for Open Technology and Science, is dead set on carrying out a mission to equip people with the proper tools for research. SciStarter and PLOTS are working together to help connect PLOTS tools and innovations to the growing … Read more “SciStarter Unites Citizen Science with DIY Community”

Categories: Citizen Science

National Science Teachers Assocation and SciStarter Announce Partnership

SCISTARTER and NSTA Announce Partnership to Connect Educators and Students to Researchers through Citizen Science Projects. ARLINGTON, VA. (September 20, 2012) –SciStarter, LLC, a Delaware-based corporation that connects people to opportunities to collaborate with scientists on cutting-edge research projects and informal science activities, is teaming up the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) to present a … Read more “National Science Teachers Assocation and SciStarter Announce Partnership”

Categories: In the News, Science Education Standards

Help find ways to prevent the common cold and flu!

As cold and flu season approaches in the Northern Hemisphere, many people are starting to think about what they can do to avoid getting sick. To help prevent illnesses, public health advice needs to be based on solid scientific evidence. The Health Tracking Network is a citizen science project designed to fill some of these … Read more “Help find ways to prevent the common cold and flu!”

Categories: Guest Contributor, Health

Are you up to the (water) challenge, today?

When you wake up in the morning and start your daily routine—take a shower, brush your teeth, cook breakfast—do you ever stop to wonder where all that water you’re using comes from? It’s availability (or lack thereof) is certainly not a common worry in the United States, where as of 2005 (the latest assessment of … Read more “Are you up to the (water) challenge, today?”

Categories: Biology, Citizen Science, Contest, Do-It-Yourself, Ecology & Environment, Health, Nature & Outdoors, Ocean & Water, Science Education Standards

Can we keep up with the growth of citizen science?

In the current issue of On Earth magazine, writer Sharman Apt Russell explores the exponential growth of citizen science and asks whether we can keep up with this growth. Explosion! Renaissance! Revolution! Tsunami! This is the sort of (admittedly overblown) language you might have overheard at the first-ever large-scale conference on citizen science, to describe … Read more “Can we keep up with the growth of citizen science?”

Categories: In the News

Citizen Scientists Go Back to School

It happens every year, and you’re right: it’s just not fair. After nearly three months of uninterrupted fun, gone are the barbeques, ball games and pool parties that dominated the summer schedule just as Labor Day signals the sudden arrival of the shorter, colder, and more structured days of the school year. But before you … Read more “Citizen Scientists Go Back to School”

Categories: Animals, Astronomy & Space, Biology, Citizen Science, Climate & Weather, Do-It-Yourself, Ecology & Environment, Insects, Nature & Outdoors, Science Education Standards, Workshops

Outside magazine: “12 Ways to Channel Your Inner Citizen Scientist”

From today’s Outside magazine: Whether it’s collecting marine debris or chasing butterflies or tracking grizzly bears, there’s something for budding citizen scientists of every stripe and appetite for adventure. Grab your waterproof-breathable pocket protector and check out these citizen science resources: 1: You’d do well to start by perusing SciStarter’s Project Finder tool, which lets … Read more “Outside magazine: “12 Ways to Channel Your Inner Citizen Scientist””

Categories: In the News

Help Track That Hurricane

As Hurricane Isaac makes landfall this morning, testing the infrastructure improvements following Hurricane Katrina, our thoughts are with the people of New Orleans for their continued safety. For weeks, scientists around the country have been studying the storm, tracking his progress and predicting his direction. With only a rain gauge, you can help them better … Read more “Help Track That Hurricane”

Categories: Citizen Science, Climate & Weather, Ecology & Environment, In the News, Nature & Outdoors, Science Education Standards