citizen science gotscience.org

How Do People Interact with Closed Nature Trails?

May 17, 2018May 17, 2018 Science Connectedcitizen science, data mining, ecological restoration, flora, nature, plants, Rocky Mountains, trails, vegetation

by Maggie Gaddis In the first quarter of 2018, I worked with the Rocky Mountain Field Institute (RMFI) staff to identify trails of monitoring interest. We reflected on the feedback received in 2017. The Citizen Science Program concept was received well at the end of 2017, and we agreed to expand the Program by including more trails. All trails are in the Garden of the Gods in 2018. The potential for additional sites is there, but we agreed it was best to focus our attention on the Garden. A question…

Citizen Science Environment

Citizen Science Promotes Environmental Engagement

January 4, 2018 Science Connectedbiology, citizen science, climate change, education, research, students, university

By Neha Jain @lifesciexplore Citizen science projects are rapidly gaining popularity among the public, in which volunteers help gather data on species that can be used by scientists in research. And it’s not just adults who are involved in these projects—even kids have collected high-quality data in the US. In addition to producing more data for scientific research, citizen science promotes interest in conservation and public awareness. Now, an Australian study has found that first-year university students can benefit from increased environmental engagement and greater understanding of their studies when…

Botany Citizen Science

Citizen Scientists Invited to Identify Plants

September 21, 2017September 21, 2017 Science Connectedplant identification, plants

By Kate Stone @GotScienceOrg Pl@ntNet is a citizen science project and an app that helps you identify plants, thanks to the camera of your smartphone. The app recognizes more than 13,000 species around the world. We recently spoke with Rémi Knaff, community manager for the project, about plant identification and citizen science. GotScience: Who can use this plant identification tool? Knaff: The app can be used by anyone who is interested in plants or wants to be part of a citizen science project. The app uses crowdsourced data to give…

Citizen Science Education

How Can Kids Become Citizen Scientists?

September 7, 2017September 7, 2017 Science Connectedcitizen science, dragonfly

By Shayna Keyles Twitter @shaynakeyles Instagram @shaynakeyles Picture a scientist. Who comes to mind? I’ll bet they’re at least a college graduate, an adult with expertise, with plenty of research and experience under their belt. It’s true that professional scientists are people who have accumulated years of specialized expertise in scientific fields, which enables them to focus their research and use advanced tools and data collection methods to achieve goals. But that doesn’t mean science is limited by age or education. In fact, anyone can be a scientist, average citizens…

Animals Citizen Science Environment Oceanography

Underwater Gardening: Coral Reefs and Aquaculture

August 31, 2017August 31, 2017 Science Connectedaquaculture, coral, coral farming, coral reefs, restoration

By Shayna Keyles Twitter @shaynakeyles Instagram @shaynakeyles Our oceans are home to most of the world’s biodiversity, and 25 percent of its diversity thrives in coral reefs—that’s about two million species that call the reefs their home. But as reefs suffer the effects of climate change and globalization (several Caribbean reef-building species are now considered endangered), their ecosystems suffer, too. Fish colonies that provide food for coastal communities dry up, and the natural barriers that the reefs create become less effective, leading to more destruction in the wake of tropical…

Citizen Science Education

SciGirls Offers Real STEM Role Models for Young Girls

August 3, 2017August 3, 2017 Science Connectedcitizen science, role models, STEM

By Shayna Keyles Twitter @shaynakeyles Instagram @shaynakeyles As a young girl, I loved watching Bill Nye’s experiments, Steve Irwin’s expeditions, and Michio Kaku’s explanations of the universe. These men made science look cool and exciting. But they also reinforced the idea that science was less accessible for girls like me, who weren’t physically fit enough to be an astronaut or confident enough with numbers to be a theoretical physicist. The closest thing I had to a female scientist role model was Ms. Frizzle from The Magic School Bus, but the…

From California to New Jersey and points in between, friends of GotScience Magazine showed support for science in their I “heart” Science T-shirts from Science Connected. Photos contributed.

Citizen Science Science Policy

Marching On: Science for the People

April 25, 2017April 25, 2017 Science Connectedclimate change, Earth Day 2017, march for science

By Shayna Keyles Twitter @shaynakeyles Instagram @shaynakeyles Tens of thousands descended on state and country capitals on Earth Day to march for science, and I was one of them. I joined up with fellow science lovers in San Francisco, where carbon-based comrades waved permanent-marker protest signs at each other in acknowledgment and wore T-shirts emblazoned with puns or allegiances to research organizations and educational associations. Some even wore lab coats, and one man was spotted wearing a spacesuit and helmet from NASA. People all had their own reasons for marching, but…

Citizen Science Science Policy

Many Ways to March for Science

April 21, 2017April 22, 2017 Science Connectedcitizen science, earth day events, march for science, science connected

Cathy Seiler: Why I March for Science The March for Science is this Saturday, April 22. Thousands—perhaps hundreds of thousands—of scientists and supporters of science will take to the streets in Washington, DC, and more than 500 cities in satellite marches around the globe. I will be participating in Bend, Oregon. Why do I march? I march because science is incredible. How cool is it that scientists are working on curing HIV/AIDS with cord blood transplants? How cool is it that science has increased the length and quality of our…

Animals Citizen Science Photos

Learning Curve: Engaging in Science Communication

February 22, 2017February 21, 2017 Science ConnectedGotScience, SciComm, science communication, wildlife

By Steven Spence @TheStevenSpence “In its encounter with Nature, science invariably elicits a sense of reverence and awe. The very act of understanding is a celebration of joining, merging, even if on a very modest scale, with the magnificence of the Cosmos.” —Carl Sagan Curiosity takes you places How in the world did I wind up in science communication, as a contributor to GotScience.org? Curiosity and a determination to share original work on social media. Some years ago, I was bored with what I saw on Facebook. It seemed like…

Animals Citizen Science Photos

Wildlife Game of Thrones: Wolf versus Crow

February 7, 2017February 2, 2017 Science Connectedcrows, nature, wildlife photography, Wildpark Bad Mergentheim, wolves

By Steven Spence @TheStevenSpence “Through the bleak and early morn, Where a stronger will is sworn, Where the moments move so slow, And seem to never let you go.” —Excerpt, “The Wolves and the Ravens” by Rogue Valley The wolves and the crows Recently I took advantage of some lovely winter weather to visit the wolves at Wildpark Bad Mergentheim in Germany. While there I mostly used my telephoto lens to get close-ups. I briefly switched lenses to get some wider views of the context—trees covered in frost; the wolf…