Blog: Citizen Science Projects, People, and Perspectives
By Darwin's Ark, Nov 14, 2024
Have you watched your cat make a beeline for an empty box or zoom around the room after a nap and wondered: why do they do that? Scientists have pondered the same questions, but there are few definitive answers. Despite being our companions for centuries, our scientific understanding of cats is surprisingly sparse. This knowledge … Read more “Darwin’s Cats: Using Citizen Science to Crack the Cat Code”
Categories: Animals, mammals, Project Profile
By Bob Hirshon, Nov 07, 2024
To paraphrase Joyce Kilmer, you’ll never see a newsletter as lovely as a tree, but this newsletter should inspire you to go out and not only appreciate trees, but help scientists working to understand and protect them. You’ll track down endangered trees for TreeSnap; monitor urban trees for iSeaTree; learn about trees with the Girl Scout … Read more “Be a Tree Champion!”
Categories: Other
By Bob Hirshon, Oct 30, 2024
Bats, spiders, cemeteries, unseen creatures living in our homes– even roadkill– have stories to tell and important lessons to teach us. Go a little batty! You don’t need your own belfry to watch fascinating bats; you can join Bats Count! Bat Cam Emergence Count and watch them leave their Connecticut barn every evening through the project’s live … Read more “Bats, Spiders and Cemeteries”
Categories: Other
By Caroline Nickerson, Oct 19, 2024
As I speak today at the Boston Youth Climate Summit, hosted by the Museum of Science, Boston (MOS), I reflect on the power of citizen science to equip communities to address climate resilience. Climate resilience refers to our capacity to deal with the impacts of climate-related hazards — including extreme heat, floods, droughts, sea level … Read more “Citizen Science & Climate Resilience: A Reflection for the Boston Youth Climate Summit”
Categories: Citizen Science, Events
By Bob Hirshon, Oct 16, 2024
For thousands of years, people have been using fungi to bake bread and brew beer (yeasts), as nutritious foods (mushrooms and truffles), and, more recently, as a source of life-saving antibiotics (penicillin, neomycin and many more). And yet, an estimated 95% of all fungus species remain undiscovered. Fortunately, thousands of energetic citizen scientists like you … Read more “Falling for Fungi!”
Categories: Biology, Citizen Science, Ecology & Environment, Environment, Nature & Outdoors
By Sarah Tribelhorn, Oct 14, 2024
In my role as the Sciences and Sustainability Librarian at San Diego State University (SDSU), I have been looking for ways to forge partnerships and collaborations in my community to support engagement and resilience. This community includes our students, faculty, and staff, as well as the broader community. As the liaison librarian to several STEM … Read more “Making a Difference: Citizen Science Programming in an Academic Library”
Categories: Other
By Caroline Nickerson, Oct 09, 2024
As I reflect on the incredible journey of the Unique Mappers Network of Nigeria and SciStarter’s role in supporting their efforts, I’m filled with gratitude and excitement. The story of our collaboration is one of grassroots empowerment, global citizen science, and a shared commitment to making a measurable difference in the world. I am unbelievably … Read more “Unique Mappers of Nigeria and SciStarter: A Collaborative Journey in Citizen Science”
Categories: Citizen Science, Events
By Anne Lewis, Sep 21, 2024
Freshwater macroinvertebrates. While not a household name, we’ve all experienced their impact. Ever swat a mosquito? Watched a dragonfly swoop by? Walked through a swarm of midges? Then you have seen a freshwater macroinvertebrate – albeit in its adult, terrestrial form. Freshwater macroinvertebrates are organisms that live in freshwater (lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, and wetlands) … Read more “MacroBlitz: Explore Freshwater Ecosystems and Contribute to Science by Tracking Macroinvertebrates”
Categories: Citizen Science, Environment, Project Profile
By Bob Hirshon, Sep 17, 2024
Billions of birds are flying south for the annual fall migration, including 4.7 billion leaving the U.S. alone, bound for Mexico, Central and South America. Sadly, over the past 50 years, North American bird populations dropped by nearly 3 billion, due to habitat loss, climate change, and massive development along their flight paths. An estimated … Read more “The Journey of 10 Billion Birds!”
Categories: Other
By Emma Giles,
Half a million volunteers from 126 countries contributed more than One Million Acts of Science through nearly 1,000 scientific research projects and events in April. On behalf of SciStarter, all of our partners, and the sponsors of Citizen Science Month, we thank each and every participant. Citizen Science Month 2024 was coordinated by SciStarter and … Read more ““One Million Acts of Science” – What We Learned During Citizen Science Month April 2024”
Categories: Other
