April’s Citizen Science Series: What’s Citizen Science Anyways?
By Travis West, Extension Educator, 4-H Youth Development, Vinton County
Photo source: https://www.parentmap.com/article/stream-stem-science-education-classes
Citizen Science is quite simply, engaging local citizens in scientific discoveries and supporting ways in which people like you, me, and our kids can contribute to science through volunteerism. Projects can be anything from collecting data to observing an action, to participating in hands-on activities. You don’t have to be a “scientist” or work in a science field to make real contributions to advancing innovation. You just have to want to take learning into your own hands and becoming interested in a science topic such as bird tracking, squire monitoring, measuring the night sky’s brightness, etc.
There are hundreds of websites supporting citizen science projects worldwide. Start by visiting websites like National Geographics Citizen Science Projects or the Anecdata Citizen Science Platform. Now more than ever the American public is engaging in accelerating science, technology, and innovation by participating in citizen science projects. Citizen scientists like yourself are critical to furthering science solutions and technology innovations.
Four Main Types of Citizen Science Projects
Ballard, Heidi & Robinson, Lucy & Young, Alison & Pauly, Gregory & Higgins, Lila & Johnson, Rebecca & Tweddle, John. (2016). Contributions to conservation outcomes by natural history museum-led citizen science: Examining evidence and next steps. Biological Conservation. 208. 10.1016/j.biocon.2016.08.040.
Citizen Science Projects
Track-a-Lilac with Nature’s Notebook
The Monarch Larva Monitoring Project
Peer-reviewed by: Christy Millhouse, OSU Extension Educator, 4-H Youth Development, Preble County, and Meghan Thoreau, OSU Extension Educator, Community Development & STEM, Pickaway County.
