Have you ever wondered how scientists know so much about animal populations and distributions? How do they find and count the species and individuals they talk about in their research? Well, a lot of the knowledge in the scientific community doesn’t come directly from scientists–it comes from people like you!
Citizen science is an easy way for anybody to contribute information to ongoing research on many different types of animals. It’s also a great way to learn about wildlife yourself! There are many large and small citizen science projects that you can participate in. Here are some citizen science highlights!
Audubon Christmas Bird Count
Do you enjoy bird watching or have always wanted to try? Then the Audubon Christmas Bird Count is a great opportunity for you to add to the knowledge of The National Audubon Society. This organization is dedicated to protecting birds and their environment. Between December 14th and January 5th each year, Audubon encourages people from all over the country to join counts in their area.
A count is organized by a count compiler who specifies a 15-mile radius in which volunteers will travel throughout the day and count every bird they see or hear. This data is then entered and compiled into the Audubon website’s database. New to birding? No problem! You can join a count where at least one experienced birdwatcher is participating.
Researchers have been watching bird species populations and distributions for many decades. Unfortunately, a comprehensive study published in the journal Science in 2019 reveals a loss of 3 billion individual birds since 1970. Most of the loss is of common birds we see every day like sparrows and finches. These changes are indicative of human impacts on the environment and their consequences. Keeping track of these trends is important to see just how much our efforts to preserve birds work or just how badly humans are impacting wildlife.
Monarch Migration
From growing larvae to adult butterflies, the lives of monarchs are fragile and complex. Butterflies are important pollinators for plants as well as food for animals like birds. Many people know that monarch butterflies travel south to warmer climates when the weather starts to cool in their home location. There are many organizations that research this movement as well as population and distribution.
When people join one of these efforts to track monarchs, they use tags they attach to their wing to mark them. When the monarch migrates, if somebody in its new location spots the butterfly and tag, they can report it so the original marker and the organization knows. Read more about the process through a first-hand experience here! Maybe you’ll want to get involved during the next monarch migration, or even by growing milkweed to prepare for new caterpillars!
FrogWatch USA
Each spring and summer, the night air is often filled with the sounds of frog calls. Because each species of frog has a unique call, it can be fun and easy to learn to identify them. FrogWatch USA is a program that relies on volunteers (that could be you!) to learn to identify frog species by their calls and report their observations. The data is accessible online by anyone, meaning researchers and community members alike can learn about the frog populations in an area.
Amphibians, like frogs and toads, are often a species that are easily affected by changes in the environment because they rely on moisture and are prone to genetic defects if there are toxins present. If there is a change in frog health or population, it is often an indicator that the environment has experienced a change–either positive or negative. Frogs are vital parts of the food chain and also aid in human scientific advances in medicine.
With many species populations declining in the past decades around the globe, understanding these trends to try and slow and reverse them is essential. Scientists need all the help they can get, so learn how to get involved here!
Feeling inspired by all of the citizen science projects available to participate in? Well, you can also start your own! The BioBlitz program has guides and resources for people to start their own animal counts with their own communities. These counts aim to document as many species as possible in a set amount of time. It’s a great way to learn more about your local wildlife. You can work with groups like your local park system, nature center, schools, and even just your friends to make an event happen.
You may also find that some national and state parks, zoos, and nature centers have their own ongoing citizen science projects. They also go beyond cataloging animal species–there are projects dedicated to things from plants to water quality to light pollution. There is a citizen science project for everyone! Find one that sparks interest in you and try it out, the science community and wildlife will thank you!
