Citizen science is the collection and analysis of data relating to the natural world by members of the general public, typically as part of a collaborative project with professional scientists. In citizen science, people around the world use basic, scientific protocols to report observations of natural events. LaVickie Patterson explains how you can contribute your observations, which allow scientists to ask questions they were never able to before…
Spring officially begins Saturday, March 20, but it doesn’t take the spring equinox for the desert iguanas to appear, birds to start nesting, and tortoises, baby coyotes, rabbits, and squirrels to emerge from burrows. As well as enjoying the changes and cycles, you can contribute your observations as a citizen scientist. To be a citizen scientist, observe nature, document it, and add your data to websites that track bird and wildlife populations. This data supports scientific study and informs policy decisions. Go out with a pair of binoculars and a notebook. You can download apps like E-bird and I naturalist right from your smart phone. Both sites will give you the tools to help you identify and list your finds. For more information, see:
https://www.citizenscience.gov/
