Make your Birdwatching Count with eBird

Part of "Spring into Citizen Science" is helping you fully enjoy the season.  It's not just new projects...but helping make the most of your existing activities.  So today I've been looking at eBird, a project that takes observations birdwatchers already make for fun and uses them to advance science.  Of course it's also a useful way for new birders to take up the hobby too!

One of the best parts of eBird is it doesn't get in the way of what you are already doing or dictate any specific style of birding.  So whether you are part of a coordinated bird census, keeping track of birds in your backyard, or even if you just seen an interesting bird while on vacation, eBird welcomes your data. The program can even utilize data collected from the many different birdwatching programs already on the market you might already be using.

Once collected there are a wide variety of useful things scientists can learn from the data.  Are endangered species recovering or declining?  Are bird populations shifting from area to area?  What are the migration patterns of different birds?  Is climate change impacting birds in a local area of in the world overall?  All these questions require extensive observational data, and birdwatchers like us are in a perfect position to provide it.

Getting Started is Easy:

1. Visit the eBird homepage and Learn About the program.
2. Complete the brief Registration required to set up a birdwatching account and get credit for the data submitted.
3. Click on the eBird: Submit Observations tab to start the quick 4-step data process.  The data being colelcted is actually quite simple...just the location of your observation, the style of birdwatching (organized birdwatch, local observation, etc.), the species of bird, and how it was identified (by sight or by sound).  That's it!

As an added bonus, after submitting your observations check out the analysis tools also available on the site.  Just click eBird: View and Explore Data and look through the graphs and maps your data fits right into.  Currently you can look at bird observations for any given area on the map, see charts of bird activity for any particular area, or view migration patterns as inferred by worldwide bird observations.  There is even a section for understanding how the recent Gulf Oil Spill has impacted ecologically significant birds in the area.

So for all you birders (and soon to be birders) out there...don't just fill a bird logbook for bragging rights.  Share it with the rest of the world and help advance our understanding of the creatures we love to watch.  And most of all, have fun!

Citizen Spots Squirrel, Springtime Science Succeeds!

"Spring into Citizen Science" continues today with a look at Project Squirrel, a University of Chicago initiative to understand the populations of grey and fox squirrels. 

While squirrels seem to live everywhere in the United States, previous data from this and other projects has shown that squirrels have more difficulty in some areas than other.  Nobody really knows why; are there local prey animals nearby?  Has human encroachment caused problems?  Are there environmental or diseases limiting squirrels in certain areas?  Science needs your help to find out.

The squirrel's  ability to live anywhere also makes this a highly accessible project for citizen scientists across the country.  People in both rural and urban areas can participate; squirrels live in both areas.  And even if there are none in your backyard, take notes at work or while you are driving; both regular and occasional observations are welcome.  All it takes is five minutes or less to start contributing.

Getting Started is Easy:

• Visit the Project Squirrel web site to learn about the project and check out the Project Squirrel: Grey vs. Fox page to learn the difference between Grey Squirrels and Fox Squirrels.  And don't forget, inmost areas a black squirrel is actually a grey squirrel for the purposes of this project.
• Click on the "Become a Citizen Scientist - Record Your Observations" button on the Project Squirrel: Participate page.  Or
• Answer the quick 14-question web-based survey on the zip code and location characteristics of the squirrel sighting.  You can also fill out a paper version of the survey (available at http://projectsquirrel.org/Project%20Squirrel%20Mail-in%20Form.pdf) and send it in through the normal mail.
• That's all there is to it.  But if you have any good Squirrel Pictures or squirrel stories, send 'em in!

No matter where you live this is a fun and easy project anyone can enjoy.  So start looking at your backyard and taking notes.  I'm sure you'll spot a squirrel soon enough!

Spring into Citizen Science with Project Budburst

The start of spring is often marked by the first blooms on your favorite plants. And so we mark the first "Spring into Citizen Science" post with Project Budburst, now in it's fifth year of tracking these markers of warmer weather.

As part of the government-funded National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON), Project Budburst asks users to collect information on seasonal changes (called phenophases) of plants in the area they're observing and report to the central website.  You can watch an area for an extended period (such as your backyard), or perform only occasional observations for areas you don't frequently vist (such as during vacation).  By amassing data from users across the country researchers can get a snapshot of the climate as nature feels it and track changes over time that are actually impacting the natural world.

Besides data on budding, local weather, and geography, the project also collects a lot of information on the actual species of plant you are studying.  Extensive nature guides of indigenous grasses, trees, wildflowers, and herbs have been put together for important plant identification purposes; they also provide a wealth of knowledge about the plants you observe.  So not only are there scientific benefits to the projet but fun, educational ones as well.

Personally, I have some wild strawberries and common lilac in my backyard I'm planning to keep an eye on.  Won't you join me?

Getting Started is Easy:

1. Visit Project Budburst for an overview of the project.  You can also click straight to the Project Budburst: Get Started page and decide whether you are an "Occasional Observer" or are ready to fully commit as a "Budburst Obesrver".
2. After registering online with the project, download the appropraite 1-page Field Journal for recording your observations.  It will guide you through the weather and location data you need to collect, as well as the phenophase data (remember that one!) being collected as well.
3. Share your observations through the Project Budburst website.  You only do this manually at the moment though a mobile app for collecting and reporting information is coming soon.

That's all there is to it!  So find a nice shady spot, check the local temperature, and wait for the flowers to bloom.   Have fun!

Spring into Citizen Science!

Welcome back everyone!  We've made it through the cold days of winter and now the weather is getting warmer.  Soon migrating birds will return, hibernating animals will wake up, and flowers will start to bloom.  So it's also time for new citizen projects to be born and old favorites to return.

All this month OpenScientist will highlight the many nature and biology projects most active in the spring and summer.  Help document nature waking up through Project Budburst.  Learn about birdwatching and help build a census of our high-flying friends.  And watch the activity of frogs, squirrels, fireflies, and other creatures as they wake up for Spring.

So watch this blog over the next few weeks for the new "Spring into Citizen Science!" campaign.  Advance science, enjoy the outdoors, and help save the planet.  All from the comfort of your own backyard.

Staring Directly at the Sun

Credit:NASA

Your mom told you enver to do it, but GalaxyZoo promises that staring at the sun can be educational, scientific, and fun.

Solar Stormwatch uses satellite data of the sun's outer atmosphere to identify solar storms and hopefully predict any impact on Earth.  Although formed 100 millions miles away these storms can wreak havoc on navigation systems, earth-orbiting spacecraft, and our power grids.  One solar storm knocked out all the electricity in Quebec.  So no only is this scientifically interesting, but it helps save dollars and even lives.

An interesting part of this site is how well they've combined the best teaching and educational aspects of the various zooniverse projects in one place.  There are the video tutorials and cheerful explanations.  There are the step-by-step instructions and quizzes at each step to ensure you understand the concepts.  And there are a number of background pieces and interactive media explaining the science behind the project.  Everything one looks for in a first-rate citizen science project. 

Getting Started is Easy:

1. Visit the introductory Solar Stormwatch: Background and Mission Briefing web pages to learn about solar storms, the overall project, and why the project scientists need your help.  You can also watch various short video lessons on these pages that walk you through each step of participating in the project.  Including the full details on how to spot and track storms.
2. Create an account or sign in with an existing Zooniverse account.
3. Walk through the Solar Stormwatch: Spot and Track tutorials that explain each step and quiz you on what you've learned.  Each step adds new difficulties and moves you closer to becoming a full-fledged storm watcher.
4. Complete all the steps and start watching. 

As an added bonus, the solar satellites providing the project data are also great for discovering new comets.  If you're lucky some may fly right into your view and you'll be able to discover that little bit of the universe through Solar Stormwatch.  So I encourage you to sign up soon and start sharing in the fun!