2007 Conference Resources
Wisconsin-based Citizen Science Programs
National Citizen Science Programs
International Citizen Science Programs
Other Citizen Science Resources
WISCONSIN-BASED PROGRAMS
The
Aquatic & Terrestrial Resources Inventory
http://wiatri.net/indexIE.htm
A source of ecological data for Wisconsin including
an EcoAtlas of past and current monitoring projects,
interactive maps, and statewide inventory programs.
Citizen-Based Monitoring
Network of Wisconsin
http://cbm.wiatri.net/
Information about Wisconsin’s inventory and monitoring
programs. Check out the Partnership Program for
grant information that can help you fund your projects.
Citizen Lake Monitoring
Network
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/water/fhp/lakes/selfhelp/shlmhowto.htm
Information on how to monitor water clarity, water
chemistry, aquatic plants, invasive species, and more.
Community Collaborative
Rain, Hail & Snow Network (CoCoRaHS)
http://www.cocorahs.org/State.aspx?state=WI
Volunteer weather observers provide information on
precipitation, snowfall, and snow depths for use by
government and
university scientists, community officials, farmers,
county emergency managers, watershed managers, drought
monitors, and by your friends and neighbors.
Invasive Plants of the
Future
http://dnr.wi.gov/invasives/futureplants/
Identify and report specific plants that threaten
Wisconsin’s native species.
LoonWatch
http://www.northland.edu/Northland/Soei/Programs/LoonWatch/
Volunteers monitor loon populations for conservation and
protection of the species.
Milkweed Monitoring
http://dnr.wi.gov/org/caer/ce/eek/teacher/milkweedmonitoring.htm
A classroom biomonitoring program that uses milkweed
plants to detect ozone air pollution.
Water Action Volunteers
http://clean-water.uwex.edu/wav/
A statewide program for Wisconsin citizens who want to
learn about and improve the quality of Wisconsin’s
streams and rivers. WAV currently offers informational
materials and support for citizen stream monitoring, as
well as storm drain stenciling, river cleanups, and
other action-oriented water resource protection
projects.
Wisconsin Nature Mapping
http://www.wisnatmap.org/
This biodiversity survey program allows people to enter
wildlife observations into a statewide database. Users
can view existing data and search by a variety of
species and factors.
Wisconsin’s Volunteer
Carnivore Tracking Program
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/er/mammals/volunteer/
Volunteers assist the Wisconsin DNR in estimating the
abundance and distribution of carnivores by observing
the number and location of their tracks.
NATIONAL PROGRAMS
Adopt Your Watershed
http://www.epa.gov/adopt/
Learn about opportunities for monitoring, cleanups, and
restoration projects. Many online resources available
for educators and information on how to start a
volunteer water monitoring program:
http://www.epa.gov/owow/monitoring/volunteer/.
Annual Midwest Crane
Count
http://www.cranecount.org
Once per year volunteers assist the International Crane
Foundation in monitoring the abundance and distribution
of cranes in the upper Midwest.
Citizen Science Central
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/citscitoolkit
A clearinghouse for ideas, news, and resources in
support of citizen science. Search for programs on a
variety of topics.
Cornell Lab of
Ornithology
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/LabPrograms/citSci/index.html
Information about citizen science and how to become
involved Cornell’s many bird-related projects including:
-
The Birdhouse Network - Join and help
scientists study and conserve North American
cavity-nesting birds. All you need is a nest box
(birdhouse) and a small amount of time each week
during spring and summer to monitor the birds
nesting in your box(es).
-
Birds in Forested Landscapes - Help
scientists examine the effects of habitat change
(e.g. forest fragmentation) on North American birds.
Participants choose study sites in forests of
various sizes, then survey for target species by
broadcasting recordings of the species'
vocalizations.
-
Golden-winded Warbler Atlas Project - Help
determine the population status and habitat and area
requirements of Golden-winged and Blue-winged
warblers and their hybrids. Volunteer birders and
professional biologists observe and record the
warblers at known and potential breeding sites.
-
House Finch Disease Survey - Will House
Finch eye disease cause an epidemic in the West as
it has elsewhere? We need help from citizen
scientists in all regions to find out more about how
the disease is affecting House Finches across the
continent.
-
Urban Bird Studies - It's a mystery how birds
survive in urban landscapes. Join hundreds of city
residents and help scientists learn more about urban
birds.
-
Pigeon Watch - Did you know that pigeons come
in different colors? Join PigeonWatch and help
scientists solve the mystery, "Why are there so many
colors of pigeons?"
-
Project FeederWatch - Join more than 16,000
other citizen scientists who periodically count the
birds that visit their bird feeders from November to
April. Your counts will help scientists track the
distribution and abundance of birds in winter.
Anyone can participate in Project FeederWatch.
-
Classroom FeederWatch - Students learn
inquiry by observing and recording bird counts and
interacting with university scientists. Data are
part of a continentwide effort to learn more about
bird population dynamics.
Fish Kill Network
http://66.155.8.209/fishkill/fk_gen.html
Information about fish kills and
water pollution in the Upper Mississippi River Basin.
You can help to report fish kills you witness.
Searchable database of fish kills in the upper midwest.
Frogwatch USA
http://www.nwf.org/frogwatchusa/
Find out how to participate in a long-term amphibian
study managed by the National Wildlife Federation.
The
Audubon Society
http://www.audubon.org/bird/citizen/index.html
Learn about the Audubon Society's citizen
science programs including:
-
The Great
Backyard Bird Count - an annual four-day event that
engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to
create a real-time snapshot of where the birds are
across the continent.
-
The Christmas Bird Count - The CBC database
contains more than a century of data on early-winter
bird populations across the Americas. This one-day
annual event is an opportunity to meet other local
volunteers, hone your birding skills, and take part
in a seasonal tradition.
-
eBird -
Audubon and Cornell have partnered to present a
website that provides birdwatchers a way for to save
sightings to an online database. The information is
used to study population movements and
distributions.
Great Lakes Worm Watch
http://www.nrri.umn.edu/worms/
Exotic earthworms are affecting native forests. Learn
about current research, worm identification, educational
resources, and what you can do.
Monarch Larva Monitoring
Project
http://www.mlmp.org/
Information on how you can become involved in collecting
data that will help explain the distribution and
abundance patterns of monarch butterflies in North
America.
Monitoring and Assessing Water Quality - US EPA
http://www.epa.gov/owow/monitoring/
Find water quality data searchable by state, guidance
for volunteer water monitoring programs, reporting
guidelines and protocol, and much more. A useful
resource for anyone conducting water quality monitoring.
The
National Institute of Invasive Species Science
http://www.niiss.org
The mission of the
National Institute of Invasive Species Science is to
work with others to coordinate data and research from
many sources to predict and reduce the effects of
harmful non-native plants, animals, and diseases in
natural areas and throughout the United States. Find
protocols for data collection browse data, enter and
analyze your own data.
North American Butterfly Association Butterfly Count
http://www.naba.org/counts.html
Volunteer participants select a
count area with a 15-mile diameter and conduct a one-day
census of all butterflies sighted within that circle.
Volunteer counters keep track of the variety of
butterflies found in an area, their movement and
population numbers.
North American Reporting Center for Amphibian
Malformations
http://frogweb.nbii.gov/narcam/
This Web site is an
avenue for people to learn about amphibian malformations
phenomena in North America, and to report on the health
of their local amphibian populations. If you have
observed malformed amphibians, you can report your
sightings through an online submission form. You can
also get information on the extent of malformation
reports received, including geographic distribution,
information on the types of malformations found, and the
species affected in each area.
The
Roadkill Project
http://roadkill.edutel.com/rkabout.html
The RoadKill project is
designed to involve students and teachers with
scientific monitoring of an environmental parameter
using the Internet and to increase participant awareness
of motor vehicle hazards with wildlife. Students and
teachers collect roadkill data in their community for
analysis as well as compare their data to other areas
participating in the project.
S'COOL - Students' Cloud Observations Online
http://asd-www.larc.nasa.gov/SCOOL/
Students' Cloud Observations On-Line
(S'COOL) is a hands-on project which supports NASA
research on the Earth's climate. Science, math, and
geography are used as students observe, compute and
locate
vital information through ground truth observations for
the CERES satellite instrument. Students make basic
weather observations and record the type, amount, and
features of clouds in the sky at the exact time that the
satellite passes over their location.
INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS
The
American Association of Variable Star Observers
http://www.aavso.org
The American Association
of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO) is a worldwide,
nonprofit, scientific and educational organization of
amateur and professional astronomers who are interested
in variable stars. Its purpose is to coordinate,
collect, evaluate, analyze, publish, and archive
variable star observations made largely by amateur
astronomers, and to make these observations available to
professional astronomers, researchers, and educators.
Earthdive.com
http://www.earthdive.com/site/home/default.asp
Earthdive is a global research project that centers
around a Global Dive Log. The Log is a unique database
into which divers and snorkellers enter sightings of key
indicator species and human pressures.
The GLOBE Program
http://www.globe.gov/fsl/welcome.html
The GLOBE Program is a worldwide hands-on science
program promotes and supports students, teachers and
scientists to collaborate on inquiry-based
investigations of the environment. Data on atmosphere
and climate, hydrology, soil, land cover, and phenology
can be entered into a worldwide database.
The Great North American Secchi
Dip-In
http://dipin.kent.edu/index.htm
Individuals in volunteer monitoring programs take a
transparency measurement on one day during the weeks
surrounding Canada Day and July Fourth. Individuals may
be monitoring lakes, reservoirs, estuaries, rivers, or
streams.
Journey North
http://www.learner.org/jnorth/
Journey North provides resources for global study of
wildlife migration and seasonal change. Find resources
for studying many species and projects related to birds,
plants, and more.
PlanetQuest
http://www.planetquest.org
PlanetQuest's mission is
to inspire global participation in the discovery of
planets. It is a direct link between you and the stars,
through the help of professional astronomers. When you
join PlanetQuest, you begin to contribute to a
collective understanding of the universe. All you need
is a computer and an Internet connection.
Schoolweb.se
http://schoolweb.se/
This international monitoring program provides projects
for wetland and woodland research. Students submit
information to an international database.
SETI@home
http://setiathome.berkeley.edu
SETI@home is a
scientific experiment that uses Internet-connected
computers in the Search for Extraterrestrial
Intelligence (SETI). You can participate by running a
free program that downloads and analyzes radio telescope
data. Radio SETI, uses radio telescopes to listen for
narrow-bandwidth radio signals from space. Such signals
are not known to occur naturally, so a detection would
provide evidence of extraterrestrial technology.
Stardust@Home
http://stardustathome.ssl.berkeley.edu
Using
their own computers, citizen scientists can assist
astronomers in locating the first pristine interstellar
dust particles brought to Earth. Any discoverer of an
interstellar dust particle will appear as a co-author on
any scientific paper by the Stardust@home collaboration
announcing the discovery of the particle. The discoverer
will also have the privilege of naming the particle!
Classroom resources are provided on the web site.
World Water Monitoring
Day
http://www.worldwatermonitoringday.org/index.php
World Water Monitoring
Day (WWMD) is an international outreach program that
builds public awareness and involvement in protecting
water resources around the world. Held annually between
September 18 and October 18, the program engages
communities in monitoring the condition of local rivers,
streams, estuaries and other water bodies. Kits can be
ordered online and data is entered and summarized
online.
OTHER CITIZEN SCIENCE RESOURCES
2008 Citizen Science Paper Competition
www.sustainus.org/citizenscience
Youth ages 13-26 are invited to submit original
scientific research or position papers to the Citizen
Science Technical Board for the 2008 CitizenScience
paper competition! Winners will, in addition to
publication, have the chance to present their work at
the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development
in NYC.
Papers will be accepted on a rolling basis until January
1, 2008.
Announcement (PDF)
Guidelines
(PDF)
BBC - Citizen Science
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/citizenscience.shtml
Three radio programs about citizen science efforts
from the British Broadcasting Corporation.
Citizen Science Blog
http://www.citizensci.com/
This weblog contains
interesting projects and bits of news related to the
work being done by citizen scientists and the
organizations that support them.
Kids Count: Young Citizen-Scientists Learn
Environmental Activism
http://www.edutopia.org/service-learning-citizen-science
Read this Edutopia article to learn how student
researchers become the eyes and ears of environmental
scientists around the nation.
National
Schoolyard Birding Challenge
http://www.fledgingbirders.org/challenge.html
A monthly bird watching contest open to students in all
public and private schools in the contiguous United
States. Student participants in the NSBC will work
together to observe, identify, and record various bird
species found on their school grounds. NSBC's main
objective is to get more young people outside and
exploring nature via bird watching. While this popular
hobby provides life long enjoyment for enthusiasts, it
also holds benefits for many people, especially
children.
Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/
The Patuxent Wildlife Research
Center web site contains links to their research
projects, fact sheets, photo gallery, wildlife quizzes,
data, and educator resources. |
