Blog: Citizen Science Projects, People, and Perspectives
By Elizabeth Walter, May 05, 2011
Up north, in Washington State’s tranquil San Juan Islands, members of the Kwiáht marine research team are hard at work keeping an eye on local sea life and terrestrial critters. Kwiaht, a word in the Coast Salish dialect, refers to a place that is physically healthy and spiritually clean. The group hopes to ensure the … Read more “Citizen scientists make a difference in the San Juans”
Categories: Animals, Bats, Chemistry, Citizen Science, Ecology & Environment, Nature & Outdoors, Ocean & Water
By Elizabeth Walter, May 01, 2011
As a child growing up in New Hampshire, I remember going with my mother to collect Monarch chrysalises for my science classes. We’d park off a nearby roadway, spy a patch of milkweed, and poke around until we found a chrysalis or two. During the next week or so, my classmates and I watched spellbound … Read more “May is the month to monitor Monarchs”
Categories: Animals, Citizen Science, Climate & Weather, Ecology & Environment, Insects, Nature & Outdoors, Science Education Standards
By Darlene Cavalier, Apr 28, 2011
This morning, my son spotted a squirrel from our window and said “Mom, hurry, take a picture!” (He’s grown accustomed to spotting and photographing squirrels, birds and insects for various citizen science projects. In this case, it’s for Project Squirrel.) I grabbed my iphone and, using its built in camera, snapped away as the squirrel … Read more “How Project Squirrel saved my dog.”
Categories: Birds, Citizen Science, Nature & Outdoors
By John Ohab, Apr 26, 2011
Changing Planet is a series of three, televised Town Hall meetings, hosted by Tom Brokaw and Anne Thompson of NBC News, on what climate change means. The first event was held at Yale on January 25th and the just-broadcast video of that program is posted above. It first aired this past weekend on the Weather … Read more “Video: Tom Brokaw hosts Changing Planet townhall at Yale”
Categories: Citizen Science
By John Ohab, Apr 22, 2011
Today is Earth Day, a perfect excuse to get out and help the planet! Researchers need YOUR help tracking the presence of American robins, so they can compare your observations with other environmental data, including climate and weather changes. American robins are arriving in the Colorado Rockies 14 days earlier than they did 30 years ago … Read more “It’s Earth Day! Five ways to help the planet”
Categories: Animals, Biology, Birds, Citizen Science, Climate & Weather, Ecology & Environment, Geology & Earth Sciences, Insects, Nature & Outdoors, Science Education Standards
By John Ohab, Apr 14, 2011
You’re invited to join Science for Citizens at the Philadelphia Science Festival Carnival on the Ben Franklin Parkway this Saturday, April 16! The festival promises to be an event like no other, with over 80 exhibitors offering non-stop family-friendly experiments, interactive activities, games, and a packed line-up of live entertainment. Best of all, the event … Read more “Join us at the Philadelphia Science Festival this Saturday”
Categories: Animals, Biology, Birds, Climate & Weather, Ecology & Environment, Nature & Outdoors, Science Education Standards
By Anne Toomey,
Energy is a strange thing. It floats around you, fills you up until you’re about ready to burst, and then it skips off, leaving you to keep up as best you can. Last Thursday and Friday were two full days of such energy, when 60 professionals from such exotic places as Alaska, Colombia and New … Read more “Conversations about conservation: public participation in scientific research”
Categories: Biology, Birds, Citizen Science, Climate & Weather, Ecology & Environment, In the News, Nature & Outdoors, Ocean & Water, Science Education Standards, Science Policy
By Elizabeth Walter, Apr 13, 2011
As spring revs up to full gear, I enjoy taking runs around my neighborhood to enjoy the colorful bursts of flower and bits of cheerful birdsong. If you too have a soft-spot for feathered creatures, consider becoming a citizen science observer for one of these three great projects! If you live in a city or … Read more “Birds on the brain”
Categories: Animals, Biology, Birds, Citizen Science, Ecology & Environment, Nature & Outdoors, Science Education Standards
By John Ohab, Apr 08, 2011
Could you come up with a new way to track submarines? Could you outsmart a submarine commander? If you think you’re up to challenge, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) could use your help! DARPA is inviting citizens to get in the virtual driver seat of a new video game: the Continuous Trail Unmanned … Read more “The Hunt for Red October: Citizen Science Edition”
Categories: Citizen Science, Computers & Technology, Gaming, Geology & Earth Sciences, Nature & Outdoors, Ocean & Water
By Elizabeth Walter, Apr 05, 2011
A few weeks back, I had an opportunity to speak with faculty at Bard College about the school’s new Citizen Science program. This week, I’ve got the inside scoop from the freshmen who took part in the intensive three-week course. Four students in Dr. Kate Seip’s section of the course were kind enough to share some … Read more “The first class of Citizen Scientists: Student perspective”
Categories: Biology, Citizen Science, Ecology & Environment, Health, Science Education Standards, Science Policy
