Citizen Science: Get Involved
Activities
- Arizona Water Watch"As a desert state, water is one Arizona's most precious resources that people and animals rely on to live and vital to our recreational enjoyment as well. Arizona Water Watch (AZWW) is an ADEQ program driven by volunteers, offering Arizona residents and visitors (age 10+) various ways to help us monitor the health of our waters and inform measures to protect it for future generations." - From Website
- Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network (CoCoRaHS) - ArizonaA unique, non-profit, community-based network of volunteers of all ages and backgrounds working together to measure and map precipitation (rain, hail and snow). By using low-cost measurement tools, stressing training and education, and utilizing an interactive Web-site, our aim is to provide the highest quality data for natural resource, education and research applications.
- Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research CenterCitizen Science Insect Monitoring - Insect emergence is a fundamental process in streams and rivers, because it represents a key life stage for aquatic insects and provides an important prey resource for terrestrial (e.g., birds, bats, and lizards) and aquatic consumers (e.g., fish). Studying insect emergence can lead to fundamental insights about the life history of insects.
- Hummingbirds at HomeHelp the Audubon Society build research about the effects of climate change on hummingbird feeding habits.
- Nature's Notebook - Join a CampaignBy participating in one of our regional campaigns you can help researchers answer key questions, get info-rich emails with localized results, and an end of season summary.
- Pollinator HotspotsHelp collect pollinator data within the Sonoran desert landscape. With this program help the desert museum collect barrel cactus fruit to count seeds as well.
- RainlogHelp researchers at the University of Arizona track rainfall in Arizona
- Saguaro National Park Projects"At Saguaro National Park, literally hundreds of citizen scientists are helping the park measure and map saguaros, monitor stream levels, and study Gila monsters. Because of their work we are able to accomplish important work that has been published in peer-reviewed scientific journals and is essential for the park’s effort to conserve Sonoran Desert plants and animals." - from Website
- Science ArizonaScienceArizona, an all-volunteer organization, seeks to promote adult & young adult science literacy in Arizona.
- Southwest Monarch StudyThe Southwest Monarch Study is researching the migration and breeding patterns of monarch butterflies in Arizona and the SouthWestern United States.
- Springs Stewardship InstituteThe Springs Stewardship Institute, a global initiative of the
Museum of Northern Arizona, works to improve communication among land managers, to survey, rehabilitate, and steward springs systems. - Tucson Audubon SocietyThere are many opportunities to get out into the field with Tucson Audubon! Go birding with these programs and contribute to important data sets that help us monitor bird populations of southeast Arizona.
- Tucson Phenology TrailThe Tucson Phenology Trail seeks to link the University of Arizona to the community, encourages people to engage in active, outdoor education, ask and answer local science, management, and climate questions, and connects like-minded organizations together through a shared community project.
- Air Sensor ToolboxEPA scientists created the toolbox to provide citizens resources to effectively collect, analyze, interpret, and communicate air quality data.
- Citizen Archivist DashboardThe Citizen Archivist Initiative is a new way of working with researchers, genealogists, and the public, so that records can be more easily found online.
- Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE)An international science and education program that provides students and the public worldwide with the opportunity to participate in data collection and the scientific process, and contribute meaningfully to our understanding of the Earth system and global environment. Announced by the U.S. Government on Earth Day in 1994, GLOBE launched its worldwide implementation in 1995.
- MapGiveMapGive, an initiative of the U.S. Department of State’s Humanitarian Information Unit, makes it easy for new volunteers to learn to map and get involved in online tasks. Quality geographic data helps empower organizations and communities to make important decisions across a range of environmental, economic and crisis management themes.
- Smithsonian Digital VolunteerJoin 6,392 volunteers to add more to the over 171,000 pages of field notes, diaries, ledgers, logbooks, currency proof sheets, photo albums, manuscripts, biodiversity specimens labels that have been collaboratively transcribed and reviewed.
Disaster Response and Recovery
- Did You Feel It? - an online platform, maintained by USGS, through which individuals can report whether or not they experienced an earthquake: and how intense the quake was if they did.
- mPING - The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s mPING project employs citizen scientists to gather weather data.
- SKYWARN® - The National Weather Service (NWS) relies on specially trained volunteers from across the country to report on severe thunderstorms, floods, tornadoes, snow and ice storms in their area.
- Adventure ScienceEnvironmental data gathering projects using the unique skills of outdoor adventurers and athletes
- Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team (COASST)Citizens and scientists working together to collect, verify, analyze, and communicate high-quality data of direct relevance to scientific understanding of system processes and function, and natural resource management and decision-making.
- Extreme Citizen Science (ExCiteS)Get involved with citizen science initiatives developed by scholars at University College London.
- GlobalXplorer°Satellite imagery gives us a new tool in the global fight to protect our cultural heritage. Become a space archaeologist and document threats to ancient sites. Help authorities get there first.
- iNaturalistEvery observation can contribute to biodiversity science, from the rarest butterfly to the most common backyard weed. We share your findings with scientific data repositories like the Global Biodiversity Information Facility to help scientists find and use your data. All you have to do is observe.
- Monarch Larva Monitoring ProjectCollect long-term data on larval monarch populations and milkweed habitat.
- Nature's NotebookNature's Notebook is a national, online program where amateur and professional naturalists regularly record observations of plants and animals to generate long-term data sets used for scientific discovery and decision-making.
- Public LabPublic Lab is a community where you can learn how to investigate environmental concerns. Using inexpensive DIY techniques, we seek to change how people see the world in environmental, social, and political terms.
- Scientific American - Citizen ScienceOver 200 opportunities to "Help make science happen by volunteering for a real research project."
- SciStarterSciStarter is a globally acclaimed, online citizen science hub where more than 3,000 projects, searchable by location, topic, age level, etc, have been registered by individual project leaders or imported through partnerships with federal governments, NGOs, and universities.
- TIME4CS Projectsupport institutions who want to use citizen science for sustainable change. Based in the EU, this project focus on research performing organizations that can benefit from public engagement.
- The USA National Phenology NetworkThe USA National Phenology Network consists of a National Coordinating Office (NCO), thousands of volunteer observers and many partners, including research scientists, resource managers, educators, and policy-makers. Anyone who participates in Nature’s Notebook or collaborates with NCO staff to advance the science of phenology or to inform decisions is part of the USA-NPN.
- ZooniverseThe Zooniverse is the world’s largest and most popular platform for people-powered research.
- Citizen Science: Theory and PracticeAn open-access, peer-reviewed journal published by Ubiquity Press on behalf of the Citizen Science Association. The journal focuses on advancing the global field of citizen science by providing a venue for citizen science researchers and practitioners to share best practices in conceiving, developing, implementing, evaluating, and sustaining projects that facilitate public participation in scientific endeavors in any discipline.
- Experiment.comExperiment is often used to replace small grants for early-stage exploratory research. Other times, it’s used to supplement larger projects.
- Games for ChangeGames for Change facilitates the creation and distribution of social impact games that serve as critical tools in humanitarian and educational efforts.
- Citizen Science ToolkitResources for designing new projects, and supporting existing ones. From the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
- Fold-It for Covid-19Help researchers discover new antiviral drugs by playing this game.
- Online-only ProjectsSciStarter search for projects to be done exclusively online.
- Stardust@homeAssist scientists in finding tiny particles of interstellar dust that originated in distant stars, light-years away.
- 10 online science projects you can do in 15 minutes or LessScistarter lists 10 online projects that people can do to help scientists.
- Globe at Night"Globe at Night is an international citizen-science campaign to raise public awareness of the impact of light pollution by inviting citizen-scientists to measure & submit their night sky brightness observations. It's easy to get involved - all you need is computer or smart phone & follow these 6 Simple Steps!" - from website
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