Citizen science has the potential to provide participants with information about conservation issues and to encourage additional conservation actions. In this case study, we describe the current state of conservation education among butterfly citizen science projects in the United States. To determine the extent to which these citizen science projects are promoting an understanding of, and engagement in, conservation among their participants, we used an online questionnaire to census project leaders and assessed their websites for the presence of educational conservation information. We found
The majority of the world’s billions of biodiversity specimens are tucked away in museum cabinets with only minimal, if any, digital records of the information they contain. Global efforts to digitize specimens are underway, yet the scale of the task is daunting. Fortunately, many activities associated with digitization do not require extensive training and could benefit from the involvement of citizen science participants. However, the quality of the data generated in this way is not well understood. With two experiments presented here, we examine the efficacy of citizen science participants
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Elizabeth EllwoodHenry BartMichael DooseyDean JueJustin MannGil NelsonNelson RiosAustin Mast
Life on the Edge will be a 1,500-sq-ft traveling exhibition to engage museum guests with space, space exploration, and the search for life beyond our home planet through the lens of Earth's extremophiles. The exhibition will explore life forms in extreme, harsh environments on Earth, and how studying these creatures informs the search for extraterrestrial life and habitable environments within and beyond our solar system. This exhibition will provide open-ended challenges and hands-on activities that utilize NASA research and educational materials to inspire elementary-aged youth ages 5-11 and their families. Based in Ithaca, NY, Sciencenter will focus the tour on small, rural museums, including SpectrUM Discovery Area (Missoula, MT), Flathead Reservation (MT), Science Zone (Casper, WY), and Imagination Place Children's Museum (Gadsden, AL). Schools and other community partners of the host museums will be leveraged in presenting family science nights, field trips, and facilitated science programs. These activities will provide additional opportunities for learners to increase their knowledge of core STEM content and science-process skills related to astronomy and astrobiology. In this institutional engagement project, Sciencenter will partner with (1) Cornell University's Department of Astronomy throughout the 5-year grant period to develop the scientific content and to ensure that content remains current and relevant with up-to-date NASA research, and (2) the University of Montana's SpectrUM Discovery Area, who will serve as the STEM outreach hub for the region, including outreach with youth of the Flathead Reservation. The expected short-term outcomes for youth ages 5-11, after visiting Life on the Edge are (1) 75% of participants will have increased understanding of basic principles of astrobiology and astronomy, along with the breadth of NASA scientific research and missions, and (2) 50% of participants will have increased awareness of career possibilities in STEM, specifically astrobiology, astronomy, and related space sciences.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Michelle KortenaarAlexander HayesLisa KalteneggerHolly TruittAdrienne TestaCharlie Trautmann
The management of health risks related to scientific and technological innovations has been the focus of a heated debate for a few years now. In some cases, like the campaigns against the use of GMOs in agriculture, this debate has degenerated into a political and social dispute. Even risk analysis studies, which appeared in the 1970s in the fields of nuclear physics and engineering and were later developed by social sciences as well, have given completely different, and at times contradictory, interpretations that, in turn, have given rise to bitter controversies.
Science and wildlife films are very common and widely viewed. Yet, most of the makers of these films have entered the profession because of their knowledge or interest in science and wildlife. Given the potential for a rather circuitous route to the profession many filmmakers benefit tremendously from engagement in professional development. We have detailed the professional development needs of novice and expert science and wildlife filmmakers ranging from keeping current with technology to consideration of engaging audiences beyond the viewing. We have also addressed gaps in the current
The iSaveSpecies project was created by Project Dragonfly at Miami University, in partnership with a national consortium of zoos and aquariums. A central goal of the project was designing and implementing a socially-networked exhibit system to engage family visitors to zoos and aquariums in inquiry and conservation, and the inquiry and action tools created under iSaveSpecies resulted in an evolving library of exhibit interactives adapted by partner institutions to suit the particular needs of their visitors. This report focuses on the two waves of networked exhibit kiosks: the first wave
The iSaveSpecies project, created by Project Dragonfly at Miami University and a consortium of zoos and aquariums, designed and implemented a socially-networked exhibit system to engage family visitors to zoos and aquariums in inquiry and conservation. The second wave of the iSaveSpecies exhibit stations focused on Sustaining Life, allowing families to conduct research and learn about conservation efforts. The Toledo Zoo incorporated three research and/or action-based touchscreen kiosks in their Tembo Trail (elephant) exhibit.
In this report, we describe the impact of the kiosks to engage
The iSaveSpecies project, created by Project Dragonfly at Miami University and a consortium of zoos and aquariums, designed and implemented a socially-networked exhibit system to engage family visitors to zoos and aquariums in inquiry and conservation. The second wave of the iSaveSpecies exhibit stations focused on Sustaining Life, allowing families to conduct research and learn about conservation efforts. The Oregon Zoo incorporated three research and/or action-based touchscreen kiosks in their Predators of the Serengeti exhibit. In this report, we describe the impact of the kiosks to
This fact sheet summarizes findings and recommendations from the Engaging Latino Audiences in Informal Science Education (Connecting Cultures) project. From 2009 through 2013, Environment for the Americas, National Park Service, and a suite of partners across the United States studied the barriers to Latino participation in informal science education (ISE) programs at natural areas.
The iSaveSpecies project, created by Project Dragonfly at Miami University and a consortium of zoos and aquariums, designed and implemented a socially-networked exhibit system to engage family visitors to zoos and aquariums in inquiry and conservation. The second wave of the iSaveSpecies exhibit stations focused on Sustaining Life, allowing families to conduct research and learn about conservation efforts. The Chicago Zoological Society/Brookfield Zoo incorporated two of these touchscreen-based kiosks in their Living Coast area exhibit.
In this report, we describe the impact of the kiosks
The iSaveSpecies project, created by Project Dragonfly at Miami University and a consortium of zoos, museums, and aquariums, designed and implemented a socially-networked exhibit system to engage family visitors to museums, zoos, and aquariums in inquiry and conservation. The second wave of the iSaveSpecies exhibit stations focused on Sustaining Life, allowing families to conduct research and learn about conservation efforts. The Boonshoft Museum incorporated three of these touchscreen-based research and action kiosks in their Mead Westvaco Hallway and Treehouse area exhibit.
In this
The iSaveSpecies project, created by Project Dragonfly at Miami University and a consortium of zoos and aquariums, designed and implemented a socially-networked exhibit system to engage family visitors to zoos and aquariums in inquiry and conservation. The first wave of the iSaveSpecies exhibit stations focused on Great Apes, allowing families to conduct research on captive ape populations and to help save wild apes by joining the work of experienced field conservationists. The Pittsburgh Zoo incorporated three touchscreen-based research and action kiosks in or near their gorilla exhibit.