"Citizen Scientist" is one of the hottest buzzwords these days, reflecting a new trend toward involving citizens in real data collection efforts. Budget cuts have forced organizations and agencies to think outside the box for gathering data, and many are creating training programs for citizen volunteers in a
wide variety of scientific fields.
There are many aspects of data collection that do not require advanced degrees in science, and give the public an opportunity to spend time in nature while contributing to knowledge. In return, trained citizens become the first eyes and ears to notice and report when something is amiss. By far the biggest benefit of training citizens to monitor lakes, streams, oceans, forests, and wildlife is that they are on the front line advocating for their community ecosystems.
Sometimes the message is much more effective when it comes from a neighbor.
Here is a sampling of the plethora of ways that you can get involved in biodiversity monitoring with kids, starting with marine biology:
Sea Turtles! If you live near a coast, chances are you can volunteer to monitor egg laying and hatching activity of sea turtles. Here just a few of the many I ran across, including
Florida,
South Carolina, and
Alabama. Even if you are land-locked, you can volunteer to spend a week in the summer at the
Wassaw National Wildlife Refuge. And can you say
Costa Rica?
Diving and snorkeling for the
REEF survey project, where you can collect and report data on fishes, seaweeds, and other critters along the west coast of the US. They have an online store with all of the gear and picture guides you need to get started.
Phytoplankton monitoring project hosted by
NOAA across the US coasts and the great lakes. The goal of the project is to gain more information on harmful algal blooms (or
HABs). Most microscopic
phytoplankton are harmless, but there are a few species that bloom or produce toxins that are very dangerous to fish, birds, and marine mammals. I know what you're thinking. YES! You get to use a microscope. And there's an
app.
Speaking of
marine mammals, if you ever find yourself in Alaska you can combine the best of both worlds -
a cruise and the chance to collect data on marine wildlife, including humpback whales! Take a jacket.
If getting wet is not your thing, check out
WhaleFM, an innovative new way to engage citizens in research. Put on your listening ears, and help researchers classify whale sounds to increase our understanding of whale communication (another plug
here). Along the same lines, there's also
Digital Fishers, developed by NEPTUNE Canada, where you analyze 15 second snippets of video taken from the deep sea. Designed like a game, the 'player' answers questions about the scene, and can advance through levels that get more complex with more experience.
Birds! The king of citizen science for birds is
Cornell University Lab of Ornithology. There are several options for volunteering, including eBird (for the serious birders), Project FeederWatch, PigeonWatch, and the Great Backyard Bird Count (from the comfort of your own home).
Flutterbys. Most people would be surprised to hear that butterfly populations have taken a hit from habitat loss.
Monarch Watch is asking volunteers to create 'monarch waystations' in backyards, parks, schoolyards, and vacant lots. A waystation is a monarch habitat planted with their favorite delicacy, milkweed. They can get you started with a seed kit designed for your region of the country. Or, if you fancy yourself an amateur
lepidopterist, or have keen photographic skills, consider volunteering for
BAMONA and submit butterfly and moth sightings to their online database.
Who doesn't love
ladybugs? You can volunteer to monitor native ladybug populations that are at risk because of the relative success of ladybugs that were intentionally brought here from other continents. Enter the
Lost Ladybug Project, which has a wealth of fun and resources for their citizen scientists, including the
Lost Ladybug Song.
Another group of insects where native species are battling introduced ones are
ants.
School of Ants is an easy way to collect data on ant populations, and they offer instructions on making your own simple ant collecting kit with index cards, ziploc baggies, and cookies!
Benthic macroinvertebrates, loosely translated, are spineless, bottom-dwelling
creatures that can be seen with the naked eye. If you have ever looked under a rock in a stream, you can catch sight of small crustaceans, immature insects, snails, and clams. Some of them are very sensitive to pollution, and others can handle it, so they are good indicators of water quality. Many states have Stream Teams, and the like, where citizens are trained to collect and identify benthic macroinvertebrates.
