Covering the people, projects and phenomena of citizen science
Blog: Citizen Science Projects, People, and Perspectives
Citizen Science, Happening Now at a Museum or Science Center Near You!
By Arvind Suresh, Dec 13, 2014
Participants deliberating about NASA’s Asteroid Initiative at the Museum of Science on November 15, 2014. Photo by David Rabkin, Museum of Science.
Science Centers are turning to citizen science to engage onsite and virtual visitors to help advance research!
Our editors have featured five such projects you can take part in below.
A related series of guests blog posts, written by the folks running theses citizen science projects at science centers, will be featured on the SciStarter blog network: SciStarter, Public Library of Science and Discover Magazine.
In the first post, David Sittenfeld, from the Museum of Science, Boston, describes the range and depth of programs offered to citizen scientists ay science centers.
Download this free app to record what you see in nature, meet other nature lovers, and learn about the natural world. iNaturalist is a technology partner of the California Academy of Science.
Team up with scientists to find and monitor bird nests and to record and report their observations. Participants can help capture, measure, and band backyard birds. Get Started!
Credit: Museum of Science
Firefly Watch
The Museum of Science, Boston has teamed up with researchers from Tufts University and Fitchburg State College to track the fate of fireflies. With your help, they hope to learn about the geographic distribution of these amazing insects and their activities. Get Started!Read related blog post.
FrogWatch USA
FrogWatch is managed by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. In local chapters, volunteers learn to identify local frog and toad species by their calls during the breeding season and how to report their findings accurately.Get Started!
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Credit: DMNS
Genetics of Taste Lab
The Genetics of Taste Lab at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science is home to a citizen science project to examine the possibility that there are more than just the five known tastes. Help determine if fatty acids are the 6th taste! Get Started!
Arvind Suresh is science communicator and a former laboratory biologist, he has a Master’s degree in Cell Biology and Molecular Physiology from the University of Pittsburgh. He enjoys reading, teaching, talking and writing science. Connect with him on Twitter @suresh_arvind.
