5 Citizen Science Projects for Kids and Grownups

Serendipity Gardens  » Fauna, Fun, Gardening »  5 Citizen Science Projects for Kids and Grownups
0 Comments

Monarch Mirror Image

This image of a tagged monarch butterfly was taken from the web and made into a mirror image.

The monarchs have started their long journey south, to their winter homes in Mexico.

Many birds have already begun their southward flights, too — an annual event many of us notice when our backyards become noticeably quieter.

By becoming citizen scientists, observers of these migrations and other phenomena of nature can help scientists learn what is happening to butterflies, birds and many other creatures.

What is Citizen Science?

According to the Scientific American, Citizen Science is a way non-specialists can join teams of scientists in research. SciStarter.com adds, “Science is our most reliable system of gaining new knowledge, and citizen science is the public involvement in inquiry and discovery of new scientific knowledge. A citizen science project can involve one person or millions of people collaborating towards a common goal. Typically, public involvement is in data collection, analysis, or reporting.”

Citizen Science operates in many fields: ecology, astronomy, medicine, computer science, statistics, psychology, genetics, engineering and many more. Citizen science makes possible research at a global scale and across decades. Without it, we might miss a discovery that no solitary scientist coud ever achieve.

Five Projects

Here are five animal-related Citizen Science projects you and your kids can participate in now or next year, starting in the spring.

Hummingbirds

How will the hummers fare as flowers begin blooming earlier because of warming temperatures? Will they find the nectar they need and rely on? In the spring of 2015, the National Audubon Society launched a new Citizen Science project to document hummingbird sightings across the country. The project offers a free mobile app that identifies bird species as well as the plants that feed them.  The project, called Hummingbirds at Home, will welcome observations from March to June each spring.  It joins Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count and the Great Backyard Bird Count as part of a plan to grow Citizen Science programs year-round, enticing young people and non-birders to become stewards for nature.

“Every year, many hummingbird species make a remarkable journey north in the springtime,” said Dr. Gary Langham, Chief Scientist for Audubon; “but will their arrival time be in sync with the blossoms?”  Dr. Langham says that new research will help Audubon focus its conservation efforts in areas where the tiny birds are most vulnerable.  Audubon will share its data  with the Pollinator Partnership. “Pollinators such as birds, bees and bats are responsible for bringing us one out of every three bites of food,” they remind us.

Monarchs

The monarch butterflies are making their way south right now. Just last week, a number of them stopped to rest in a park in Cleveland after a 50-mile crossing of Lake Erie. See a photo that one observer took.

Visit the Journey North page that tells you what to do at this time of year. Journey North also creates a map that you can look at to see how far the monarchs have traveled — now, as they go south, and again in the spring, while the northward trek is going on.

During the spring migration, the monarch population will expand from 3 acres of winter habitat in Mexico into 1 billion acres of breeding habitat in the United States and Canada.

Frogs and such (for Michigan residents)

Frog 20

This frog lives in the pond at Serendipity Gardens.

The Michigan Herp Atlas, managed by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR), seeks, for the first time, to build a comprehensive map of the frogs and other amphibians in Michigan. This is an ongoing project that is looking for information year round, from the earliest cries of the spring peepers through summer to winter, when many of these creatures go into hibernation  and therefore may be less visible. You can download an app from the website to help you track what you see, or you can simply go to the website and track from there. Instructions are available for this kid-friendly project that helps the DNR to assess changes in populations over time and measure species health.

Jellyfish (for residents or visitors to the beach)

If you live near a beach or visit one regularly, marine biologists would like to have your observations and photos of jellyfish, red tides, squid, and other unusual marine animals. Apps are available for iPhone and Android to help you do this. The iPhone app looks like this:

Using it or the Android version, you can contribute to a long-term dataset by sharing information about the animals you see or describing the conditions of the beach. Pictures are most welcome, too.

You can also join the marine-focused conversation on their Facebook Page. You do not have to register, but if you want to keep track of your sightings or become a regular contributor, signing up for an account will be helpful.

Bees

bee_pollen_macro

This web image shows a bee covered in pollen as it goes about its work.

The Xerces Society is dedicated to the preservation of non-vertebrate creatures, which includes all insects, bees, and butterflies. They sponsor a project called Bumblebee Watch.

This project seeks to track the bumblebees of North America. You can upload photos of bees (to start your own virtual bee collection), learn to identify the various kinds of bumblebees, learn about ongoing conservation efforts, and more.

To participate, create an account, and then visit your own garden, a park, or another natural area with camera in hand. When you get back, sign in and submit your data on the Bumble Bee Sightings form.

Citizen science projects are a way to learn, have fun, and provide useful information to scientists. I hope you’ll participate in one or more of them. For a list that is twice as long, visit 10 Popular Citizen Science Projects.

Like this post? Sign up to receive an email each time a new post is available. We will never loan, sell or rent your email address — that’s a promise! Please use the buttons below to share with others.

Please leave a comment!