CITIZEN SCIENCE PROJECTS

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Citizen Science Projects

Citizen science projects have been growing in popularity all over the world.  There is so much more that can be accomplished when we tap into the enormous brain trust and data collection potential of the general population.  Anyone can participate in citizen science.  You can participate in citizen science projects that can contribute real data to help researchers get a better understanding of the world and can lead to policy decisions and innovations that can help us make more informed decisions

What is Citizen Science?   

Citizen science is research, observations and data collection that is done by regular people that may not have any formal degree in science.  It is being used all over the world to track animal migrations, changes in climate, and more.  Scientists and researchers cannot be everywhere.  With the help of the general public, they can profoundly increase their research capacity using simple training and tools now available through technological advances.

 

4 Simple Citizen Science Projects

Choosing a science project can sometimes be overwhelming.  Here is a list of great citizen science projects that have made a real difference.

Litter Free Digital Journal

Litter is a real problem that can hurt wildlife, pollute waterways, and even harm human health.  It also makes a ugly mess!  You can help make a positive impact by removing trash, and keeping records of the types of litter and location where it was found.  This will help researchers learn where the trash is coming from so they can help policy makers make decisions to help solve the problem.  This is how citizen scientists have actually made a huge difference in helping to beautify the coastal beaches and waterways using the SCA Litter Free Digital Journal.  You can do the same thing too!!  Just choose an area to do your own clean up and data collection. You can have fun with your friends to clean up your neighborhood and contribute to science.

Sea Level Rise CONNECT

Tracking the effects of climate change is extremely helpful to scientists as they add to the body of data being collected around the world. The effects of sea level rise are important to understand the severity of how coastal communities will be affected and how they should prepare to build resilience.  There are many tools you can use to help you track things like flooding, rainfall, drought, and other weather related events in your area. Take pictures and record what you see.

Bird Counts

The great backyard bird count is one of the oldest citizen science projects with hundreds and thousands of people recording all the birds they see within a 15mile radius or segment of the area and then sharing the data with the collaborative.  The most popular event is the Christmas Bird count which happens between December 14th- January 5th. You can record anytime.  The data helps scientists show how bird populations and migrations are changing over. This helps to learn more about the effects of habitat loss, pollution, biodiversity, and climate change..

Journey North

Birds are not the only thing you can track that will help.  Researchers are collecting a tremendous amount of data from citizen scientists about the migration patterns of a wide variety of creatures from butterflies to whales.  The Journey North has made it it easy for anyone to collect and share their information with the scientific community.

Citizen Science Association

You are not alone!  Join together with other citizen scientists to help you craft your citizen science project, share your data, and connect the scientific community as a whole.  The Citizen Science Association was created to unite educators, scientists, innovators and others to help empower citizen scientists so that they can help guide and maximize the efforts of the community so they can guide and improve the quality of data collection and use it to help accelerate innovation.  Every contribution counts!

If you have some great ideas for citizen science projects or resources to help the growing community, please share!

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