Year-round Guide for Engaging in Citizen Science Projects
The Great Sunflower Project and other initiatives are bringing together gardeners, beekeepers, birders, and naturalists to contribute valuable data on pollinators and the health of ecosystems. This community science movement, also known as participatory science, invites the general public to take an active role in scientific research, from formulating research questions to collecting and analyzing data, and making new discoveries.
In state and local parks, citizen science opportunities abound throughout the seasons, offering a unique and engaging way for individuals to participate in conservation efforts. Here's a glimpse into the variety of projects available:
Winter
Project FeederWatch and the Christmas Bird Count are popular winter citizen science activities. During Project FeederWatch, volunteers count birds visiting feeders and submit data to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. The Christmas Bird Count, coordinated by the National Audubon Society, involves bird counting walks in parks, such as at West Virginia University's Core Arboretum. Both projects can be done individually and are suitable for all ages and experience levels.
Spring
Springtime sees an increase in citizen science activities focused on habitat restoration and wildlife education. At places like Oxon Hill Farm and Fort Washington Park, volunteers assist with wildlife care and educational programs. Additionally, volunteers work in Prairie Creek Marsh and Wildscape to restore Blackland Prairie habitat and monitor bird boxes along Spring Creek.
Summer
Summer is a time for pollinator support and community education. Rockwall Parks and Preserves maintain pollinator gardens used for education and outreach during warmer months, encouraging community involvement in pollinator conservation. Willis Winters Park organizes habitat maintenance and bioblitz activities involving species counts and education in summer.
Fall
As autumn arrives, volunteers continue habitat maintenance and monitoring in natural preserves such as White Rock Prairie, supporting restoration and preservation efforts during the fall season.
Year-Round Opportunities
Many citizen science projects involve ongoing efforts across multiple seasons, with activities like trail maintenance or wildlife monitoring adaptable to local conditions. Some projects, like those at National Capital Parks-East, feature monthly cleanups and interpretive tours engaging community members year-round.
Online citizen science opportunities are also available, unrelated to season, such as Zooniverse projects analyzing photos of birds or nests from around the world.
Crowdsourcing for Large-Scale Information Collection
Crowdsourcing is a powerful tool in citizen science, enabling large-scale information collection and quick problem-solving. Examples include Nature's Notebook, which allows users to document phenological changes in flora and fauna to contribute to climate change research, and the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network (CoCoRaHS), where volunteers measure precipitation using a rain gauge and hail pad, record their data, and report their measurements online to complement observations made by the National Weather Service.
Planning and Participating in Your Own Citizen Science Project
Global Citizen Science Month in April provides resources to help plan a citizen science project of your own, and NEEF's toolkits and activity guides offer environmental education resources for all ages. iNaturalist is a crowdsourced species identification and organism occurrence recording tool that can be used with a smartphone or computer to observe wildlife and plants in local parks. Chronolog allows users to create time lapses showing how changes in the environment occur gradually over time by adding photos to specific locations.
Annual Citizen Science Events
The City Nature Challenge, an annual global BioBlitz run by the Community Science teams at the California Academy of Sciences and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, invites participants to find wildlife in their city, take a picture, and upload it to an online database. NEEF and iNaturalist invite volunteers to take part in a nationwide BioBlitz during National Public Lands Day, contributing valuable data that supports conservation and public land stewardship.
Contributing to Scientific Research and Community Awareness
Participating in citizen science at local parks not only helps contribute to scientific research but also highlights the natural marvels of the community. Projects like eBird, FrogWatch USA, and the North American Butterfly Association's butterfly census study the effects of weather and habitat change on wildlife populations, providing valuable insights to scientists and the public. The Christmas Bird Count, organized by the Audubon Society, is the nation's longest-running community science bird project that helps scientists assess the health of bird populations during December 14 to January 5 every season.
Turning Everyday Activities into Learning Opportunities
Even winter stargazing can become a learning opportunity, as tracking the International Space Station, looking for planets, measuring light pollution, and more can turn this fun activity into a scientific endeavour. State and local parks also host citizen science events to learn more about specific questions or challenges their ecosystem faces.
In conclusion, citizen science in state and local parks offers a wealth of opportunities for individuals to contribute to scientific research and environmental conservation. Whether it's winter bird counts, spring habitat restoration, summer pollinator support, or fall ecosystem monitoring, there's a citizen science project for everyone to get involved in. So, why not take the first step today and discover the wonders of your local park through citizen science?
- By participating in community science projects, such as The Great Sunflower Project, individuals can contribute valuable data on pollinators and the health of ecosystems.
- During winter, projects like Project FeederWatch and the Christmas Bird Count allow volunteers to count birds and submit data, offering a unique way to contribute to conservation efforts.
- Spring citizen science activities, such as wildlife care and educational programs at places like Oxon Hill Farm and Fort Washington Park, focus on habitat restoration and wildlife education.
- Online citizen science opportunities, unrelated to season, like Zooniverse projects, allow users to analyze photos of birds or nests from around the world.
- In summer, projects like Rockwall Parks and Preserves' pollinator gardens and Willis Winters Park's habitat maintenance and bioblitz activities encourage community involvement in pollinator conservation.
- Participating in citizen science at local parks not only helps contribute to scientific research, but also highlights the natural wonders of the community, providing valuable insights to scientists and the public.