This National Science Foundation Informal Science Education project was a "Citizen Science" weather and climate observing program focused on the Central Great Plains region of the U.S. Volunteers of all ages, primarily self selected, equipped with simple and low cost instruments for measuring rain, hail and snow, were recruited, trained and equipped to help measure and report precipitation. This region of the country is well known for its extreme and highly variable climate with strong seasonal cycles, dramatic day to day weather changes, drought vulnerability, as well as the propensity for
CoCoRaHS or the Community Collaborative Rain and Hail Study builds on previously funded NSF research on precipitation patterns in the western portion of the US. This award will expand the current citizen science efforts to include those living in the Great Plains including Eastern Colorado, Western Nebraska, Northwest Kansas and Southeast Wyoming. Participants gain experience in data collection and analysis while working with scientists and contributing to a national research study. CoCoRaHS volunteers will learn about the impact of regional weather patterns on agriculture, water resources and environmental quality while collecting rain, hail and snow data. Participants are also invited to take part in other activities to build on the research experience including a series of seminars, field trips and workshops. The project will result in the development of the following materials: graphic depictions of data using ARC-GIS software, a teacher curriculum, an upgraded website and a quarterly newsletter.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Robert CifelliNolan DoeskenSteven Rutledge
During the 3 years of this project, 72 high school and middle school teachers and 36 students will work as members of atmospheric research teams studying each of ten airshed around the Portland, OR metropolitan area. Each summer's activities include a 4-week atmospheric interaction research course and a one-week air quality measurement campaign during a pollution episode. Transfer to the classroom is anticipated through action research projects during the academic year. An interactive webpage will enable all partners to access data, real time models of the atmosphere, and descriptions of the action research projects. A lead high school will serve as the Horizons-Air site for an airshed zone and will work collaboratively with four other middle/high schools, the Horizons-Met sites.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Linda GeorgeDaniel JohnsonWilliam Becker
The Conservation Trust of Puerto Rico, Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, the Interdisciplinary Center for Coastal Studies, New York Botanical Garden, Puerto Rico Youth at Risk, Boy Scouts, and others implemented a citizen science program for age 12 and older. This project targeted local residents, visitors to Hacienda La Esperanza Reserve, and members of community environmental projects on topics including archeology and human impacts on local ecosystems; conservation and restoration of wetlands; and shoreline and costal processes.
The scientific community is challenged by the need to reach out to students who have traditionally not been attracted to engineering and the sciences. This project would provide a link between the University of Michigan and the teachers and students of secondary education in the State of Michigan with an initial emphasis on southeast Michigan, through the creation of a range of computer services which will provide interactive access to current weather and climate change information. Taking advantage of a unique computer network capacity within the State of Michigan named MichNet which provides local phone ports in virtually every major city in the state, and the resources available to the university community via the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) UNIDATA program, this project would provide secondary schools with access to a state-of-the-art interactive weather information system. The real-time data available via the system, supplemented by interactive computer modules designed in collaboration with earth science teachers, will provide animated background information on a range of climate and weather related topics. While the principal objective of this project will be to provide educationally stimulating interactive computer systems and electronic weather and climate modules for application in inner city Detroit and its environs, the unique nature of the available computer networking will allow virtually every school system in the state to have access. Subsequently successful completion of this project could eventually make the same systems available to other cities and states.
The Vanessa Migration Project is a citizen science program that has been active since April 2001 as part of the Red Admiral and Painted Lady Research Site. Citizen observers in North America report their sightings of date, location, flight direction, and other activity of four butterflies of the genus Vanessa (V. atalanta, V. cardui, V. virginiensis, and V. annabella). Objectives include 1) monitoring butterflies and their yearly seasonal distribution; 2) tracking migrations and outbreaks; and 3) studying effects of weather and climatic patterns on butterfly activity.
Rothamsted Research is the oldest agricultural research station in the world. It is internationally recognised for its long history of entomological studies, including the Rothamsted Insect Survey which has operated a national network of light traps since 1968. Most of the traps are operated by volunteers, with approximately 90 traps running each year. Altogether, over 460 sites have run for a minimum of one year and 54 have operated for at least 15 years. This has become one of the world’s largest and broadest contemporary insect biodiversity databases, with over 12 million individual macro-moth records. These records are used for fundamental ecological research, linking the effects of land use and climate change with population and distribution changes of common British moths. Recently, data have been used to show dramatic declines and changes in distribution for many common species throughout the UK.
MY NASA DATA attempts to make NASA satellite data about the Earth available in a form that is accessible to the public through a standard web browser. For citizen scientists, the project has identified a number of science project ideas which tie local observations to the larger context and history available from satellite data. A mentor network is also available for relevant questions, and people with expertise are welcome to join it. We welcome reports of interesting projects carried out by citizen scientists using this resource.
Each year, more than 200 volunteers donate over 7,000 hours of their time, skills, and enthusiasm to reach Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary's goals in environmental education, scientific research, and the protection of the vulnerable wetland ecosystem. This is the equivalent of a $100,000 donation. These volunteers have a variety of backgrounds---teachers, librarians, construction workers, chemists, college and high school students, and yes, some are even professional wetland ecologists! What they have in common is an interest in nature, pleasure in being outdoors, and a desire to explore the ecology of natural habitats such as wetlands and forests. At the Sanctuary, they collect water samples . . . clear trails . . . weigh turtles . . . guide visitors on nature walks . . . draw maps . . . lead canoe trips . . . make posters . . . seine for fish . . . host the Visitor Center on weekends . . . and so much more!
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Jug Bay Wetlands SanctuaryFriends of Jug BayChesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve SystemLindsay Hollister
Hoosier Riverwatch promotes stewardship of Indiana's waterways through a volunteer stream monitoring and water quality education program. Hoosier Riverwatch is a state-sponsored water quality monitoring initiative. The program was started in 1994 to increase public awareness of water quality issues and concerns by training volunteers to monitor stream water quality. Hoosier Riverwatch is sponsored by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources - Division of Fish and Wildlife. Funding is provided in part by the Federal Sport Fish Restoration Fund.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Indiana Department of Natural ResourcesNatural Resources Education CenterLisa Ritter-McMahan
The Great World Wide Starcount is a Windows to the Universe international citizen-science event that encourages everyone, astronomers and non-astronomers alike, to measure their local light pollution and report their observations online. The Great World Wide Star Count, part of the Dark Skies Awareness cornerstone project for the 2009 International Year of Astronomy, raises awareness about light pollution as well as encourages learning in astronomy. No prior experience is necessary and the downloadable activity guide is available in eight different languages on the Web site.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
University Corporation for Atmospheric ResearchSandra Henderson
The CMN helps communities in British Columbia and Canada map sensitive habitats and species distribution. Information is integrated from many sources to assist landuse planning and is freely available in over fifty user friendly atlases. The atlases have links to local and remote databases, WMS sources and geo-referenced video. The CMN supports Sensitive Habitat Inventory and Mapping (SHIM) projects and provides customized data entry, digitizing and other tools. By providing accurate and up to date information, the CMN and its many partners will help plan sustainable communities.