I have been inspired to look up opportunities to work as a citizen naturalist/scientist. So here is a list of what I found. If you are interested in any of these areas, check them out and see if you can get involved!!!
We have done the nest box survery with Cornell in that past. B built the boxes for screech owls, but we never got any to nest. The process was still fun though.
Citizen Science Projects and Opportunities
BIRDS
- Project Feeder Watch Cornell Univ. www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw
- Mich. Audubon Society/ www.michiganaudubon.org
- Kalamazoo Nature Center www.naturecenter.org
- Christmas Bird Counts National Audubon Society www.audubon.org/bird/cbc
- National Nestbox Network / The Birdhouse Network Cornell University www.birds.cornell.edu/birdhouse
- Misc. programs at Cornell Univ. www.birds.cornell.edu
including Finch Irruptions and Urban Birds
- LoonRanger Program Michigan Audubon Society
Michigan Loon Protection Association www.michiganloons.org
- Great Backyard Bird Count www.birdsource.org/gbbc
- Nation-wide volunteer bird-feeder count on Feb. 13 –16, 2004
- General Bird Watching American Birding Association www.americanbirding.org
- www.birdcount.org
BATS
- North American Bat House Research Project www.Batcon.org
- Bat Conservation International Austin TX World-wide bat education, Organization for Bat Conservation www.batconservation.org
BUTTERFLIES & DRAGONFLIES
- Journey North Web-based participatory learning, variety of bird & non-bird species, www.learner.org
- North American Butterfly Association Web-based life histories, 4th of July Butterfly Count, www.naba.org
- Monarch Larva Monitoring Project Life history of Monarch Butterfly / Milkweed patch study, www.mlmp.org
- http://www.fs.fed.us/monarchbutterfly/citizenscience/index.shtml
- Xerces Society / All insects and invertebrates, great links, www.xerces.org
AMPHIBIANS
- Frog Watch USA National Wildlife Federation & UGGS, www.nwf.org/frogwatchusa
- Michigan Frog and Toad Survey Michigan DNR state-wide spring frog and toad monitoring program, www.michigan.gov/dnr
- Frog and Toad Deformities Tracking site for frogs and toad found with deformities, http://frogweb.nbii.gov
- N. American Amphibian Monitoring Program Nation-wide amphib. Monitoring program. Great links page, www.mp2-pwrc.usgs.gov/naamp
Misc.
- EarthDial A planet-wide sundial network with coordination and tie to Mars probe.
The Planetary Society, planetary.org/mars/earthdial
- Lichen Mapping Example photos, maps and tracking site for lichens (Univ. of Kansas), www.Pathfinderscience.net
- Habitat Preservation The Nature Conservancy www.nature.org/michigan
- Or a local conservancy (like SW Michigan Land Conser.) www.swmlc.org
- Green Building technology and certification, United States Green Building Council www.usgbc.org
- Great Lakes Research and Education Center www.nature.nps.gov/learningcenters
- http://www.chicagowilderness.org/involve/volunteer/index.cfm
- http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/citizen_science/citizen_science.html (there is a star count here for fall 2008)
2 comments:
If ever you are in doubt, let me tell you again - You are The Queen.
WOWOWOWOWOW!!!!! Now I'm inspired to do some looking as well. I'll show the list to M later today, and brace myself for "Let's Do It All!!!" :)
Lastly, I want to Thank You for keeping me inspired. (Oh, what am I to do the day B graduates from homeschooling??? Waaaaah!!!)
p/s The lichen project caught my eye immediately.... we came home from Pinnacles with an itty bitty dried twig full of lichen. We haven't looked at them under the microscope, but we will today! The lichen there is prolific (gorgeous colors too), so we want to learn more before returning. What perfect timing!
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