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Citizen Science Opportuntities

This page provides the contact information of organizations that provide Citizen Science opportunities - allow the public to get involved with scientific research on a volunteer basis. 
  • Please help us add to this list. Send your favorite citizen science opportunities to us by using the "Contact Us" link at the top of this webpage. Thank you!
  • Opportunties for children to get involved are listed on the children's section of the website under the "Help Scientists" link. To access the list now click here.
THIS LISTING IS:
  • Alphabetical by topic, then by the project title within each topic area.
  • Notated by state, region, or country.
AGRICULTURE/FARMING
Maine Garlic Project - Maine
http://extension.umaine.edu/gardening/maine-garlic-project/
This is a participatory research project aimed at increasing the knowledge of Garlic production in Maine.  For $5, participants will receive a bulb of Garlic in the mail.  They will then plant the bulb and record, in an online database, its growth over the course of a year.  The Maine Garlic Project is hoping to gather enough data to make judgments on the optimal planting and harvest times or different areas of Maine.  What do you gain from this?  An exciting project, and a potential lifetime supply of garlic!

AIR QUALITY
Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) Visibility Volunteers - Maine to Virginia
http://www.outdoors.org/conservation/mountainwatch/vizvols-how.cfm
AMC's Visibility Volunteers, or VIz Vols, document the air quality conditions on their hikes using a camera to document visibility (or lack of it from haze pollution) and the ozone levels with an ozone detector card. Scientists compile submitted data and post it to the AMCs website. The reports are used for public education, advocacy for improved air quality laws and regulations, and to interest media in air quality issues. Also at this site, you will find on-line curriculum and background information about ozone and haze pollution. Links include Weather & Climate, Air Quality, Ecosystems, and Results & Reports.

AMPHIBIANS
Amphibian Monitoring Program - Maine
http://www.maineaudubon.org/conserve/citsci.shtml
Maine Audubon sponsors many citizen science opportunities throughout the state. Check their website to get the most up-to-date list. They also host migratory songbird and owl programs where you can watch scientists at work mist-netting and banding birds. For more information about the banding programs call the Maine Audubon Staff Naturalist at 781-2330.

FrogWatch USA - USA
http://www.aza.org/frogwatch/
FrogWatch USA is a long-term frog and toad monitoring program managed by the American Zoological Society. Anyone can volunteer! You do not have to be a frog or toad expert to make a contribution; all you need is an interest in frogs and toads. You can learn all you need to know to volunteer and sign-up on their website.

AQUATIC - FRESHWATER LAKES, PONDS, RIVERS & STREAMS
Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program - Maine
http://www.mainevolunteerlakemonitors.org
The Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program (VLMP) is one of the largest and oldest citizen-based lake monitoring programs in the country. Their mission is to provide protection for the nearly 6,000 lakes in Maine through the acquisition of scientific data, and to raise public awareness about the extraordinary ecological, aesthetic and economic value of Maine's lakes and ponds. Volunteers are from all walks of life and are of all ages. Many have been with the program for over twenty years. Every summer, hundreds of certified volunteer lake monitors throughout the state collect valuable scientific data. Volunteers are asked to spend a minimum of 24 hours per year on a lake (monitoring May through September at two-week intervals), and must have access to a boat.

PLANTS
Maine Garlic Project - Maine
http://extension.umaine.edu/gardening/maine-garlic-project/
This is a participatory research project aimed at increasing the knowledge of Garlic production in Maine.  For $5, participants will receive a bulb of Garlic in the mail.  They will then plant the bulb and record, in an online database, its growth over the course of a year.  The Maine Garlic Project is hoping to gather enough data to make judgments on the optimal planting and harvest times or different areas of Maine.  What do you gain from this?  An exciting project, and a potential lifetime supply of garlic!

PlantWatch - Maine
http://www.maine.gov/dep/air/plantwatch/index.htm
Intended for secondary school students and adults
Help the Maine Department of Environmental Protection gather data that will help track the effects of global warming. All you need to do is register at their website, read their training materials, then begin sending them your observations of plants in bloom.
 

WATER QUALITY

Friends of Casco Bay - Citizen Stewards Water Quality Monitoring Program - Maine

Each year, dozens of volunteers work with Friends of Casco Bay to collect data on water quality. Trained in EPA-approved techniques, these Citizen Stewards collect samples at 30 sites around Casco Bay. Supplementing the sampling and research work done by Friends of Casco Bay staff, volunteers test for dissolved oxygen, a measure of how much oxygen is available to marine life, as well as water temperature, salinity, water clarity, nitrogen, and pH. Volunteers monitor the Bay at 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. (often splitting the day with another team member) on ten scheduled Saturdays from April through October. Volunteers must be 16 or older, although parents and children may work together as a team. After their initial training, new volunteers will continue to receive support throughout the sampling season through on-site visits and regular email or phone check-ins by Friends of Casco Bay staff. Together, our staff and volunteers have collected nearly 250,000 water quality measurements since 1992, making our data set one of the most comprehensive and reliable in Maine. This data is critical as Friends of Casco Bay works with businesses, municipalities, and decision-makers around the Bay to find effective ways to curb pollution.  FMI: use the hotlink above or call 207-799-8574.

 
WEATHER
Community Cooperative Rain, Hail, and Snow (CoCoRaHS) Network - USA
http://www.cocorahs.org
Each state has a volunteer weather-monitoring program known as CoCoRaHS. At this website you can join weather-watchers from across the nation, take on-line training, sign up for additional courses with meteorologists, and learn all you need to know to record and report weather conditions at your home to your local National Weather Service office.

WILDLIFE
Lobster Monitoring - Coastal New England
http://www.lobsters.org
The Lobster Conservancy (TLC) works with fishermen and volunteers throughout the Gulf of Maine region to sustain a thriving lobster fishery through science and community. The Juvenile Lobster Monitoring Project trains citizen volunteers in a rigorous scientific methodology to census intertidal lobster nursery sites. Harboring "baby" lobsters (some only the length of a fingernail), these nursery sites are accessible once a month during the lowest low tides. Their accessibility makes them extremely valuable as indicators of lobster fishery health ? the baby lobsters counted today will be keepers when caught in lobstermen's traps six or seven years from now. More than 60 citizen volunteers surveying over 20 sites make possible an affordable census of the next generation of lobsters, and help manage the resource sustainably. Training is required and provided. A several-year commitment to once-per-month surveys, March through November, is also required.

Maine Audubon Citizen Science Opportunities - Maine
http://www.maineaudubon.org/conserve/citsci.shtml
Maine Audubon sponsors many citizen science opportunities throughout the state. Check their website to get the most up-to-date list. They also host migratory songbird and owl programs where you can watch scientists at work mist netting and banding birds. For more information about the banding programs call the Maine Audubon Staff Naturalist at 781-2330.

Wildlife Watch - USA
http://www.nwf.org/wildlifewatch/
National Wildlife Federation's Wildlife Watch is a national, nature-watching program created for people of all ages. Through the program you can share details that help National Wildlife Federation track the health and behavior of wildlife and plant species nationwide. In return, the Wildlife Watch website keeps you up-to-date on wildlife news and facts, and new ideas for attracting wildlife to your backyard and community.

 

 
 
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Cornerstones of Science
A National Science Literacy Initiative
Originating from Brunswick, Maine
PO Box 955
Brunswick, ME 04011
Executive Director Cynthia Randall
copyright 2012. all rights reserved.
site by allureIW.

Citizen Science Opportuntities

This page provides the contact information of organizations that provide Citizen Science opportunities - allow the public to get involved with scientific research on a volunteer basis. 
  • Please help us add to this list. Send your favorite citizen science opportunities to us by using the "Contact Us" link at the top of this webpage. Thank you!
  • Opportunties for children to get involved are listed on the children's section of the website under the "Help Scientists" link. To access the list now click here.
THIS LISTING IS:
  • Alphabetical by topic, then by the project title within each topic area.
  • Notated by state, region, or country.
AGRICULTURE/FARMING
Maine Garlic Project - Maine
http://extension.umaine.edu/gardening/maine-garlic-project/
This is a participatory research project aimed at increasing the knowledge of Garlic production in Maine.  For $5, participants will receive a bulb of Garlic in the mail.  They will then plant the bulb and record, in an online database, its growth over the course of a year.  The Maine Garlic Project is hoping to gather enough data to make judgments on the optimal planting and harvest times or different areas of Maine.  What do you gain from this?  An exciting project, and a potential lifetime supply of garlic!

AIR QUALITY
Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) Visibility Volunteers - Maine to Virginia
http://www.outdoors.org/conservation/mountainwatch/vizvols-how.cfm
AMC's Visibility Volunteers, or VIz Vols, document the air quality conditions on their hikes using a camera to document visibility (or lack of it from haze pollution) and the ozone levels with an ozone detector card. Scientists compile submitted data and post it to the AMCs website. The reports are used for public education, advocacy for improved air quality laws and regulations, and to interest media in air quality issues. Also at this site, you will find on-line curriculum and background information about ozone and haze pollution. Links include Weather & Climate, Air Quality, Ecosystems, and Results & Reports.

AMPHIBIANS
Amphibian Monitoring Program - Maine
http://www.maineaudubon.org/conserve/citsci.shtml
Maine Audubon sponsors many citizen science opportunities throughout the state. Check their website to get the most up-to-date list. They also host migratory songbird and owl programs where you can watch scientists at work mist-netting and banding birds. For more information about the banding programs call the Maine Audubon Staff Naturalist at 781-2330.

FrogWatch USA - USA
http://www.aza.org/frogwatch/
FrogWatch USA is a long-term frog and toad monitoring program managed by the American Zoological Society. Anyone can volunteer! You do not have to be a frog or toad expert to make a contribution; all you need is an interest in frogs and toads. You can learn all you need to know to volunteer and sign-up on their website.

AQUATIC - FRESHWATER LAKES, PONDS, RIVERS & STREAMS
Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program - Maine
http://www.mainevolunteerlakemonitors.org
The Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program (VLMP) is one of the largest and oldest citizen-based lake monitoring programs in the country. Their mission is to provide protection for the nearly 6,000 lakes in Maine through the acquisition of scientific data, and to raise public awareness about the extraordinary ecological, aesthetic and economic value of Maine's lakes and ponds. Volunteers are from all walks of life and are of all ages. Many have been with the program for over twenty years. Every summer, hundreds of certified volunteer lake monitors throughout the state collect valuable scientific data. Volunteers are asked to spend a minimum of 24 hours per year on a lake (monitoring May through September at two-week intervals), and must have access to a boat.

PLANTS
Maine Garlic Project - Maine
http://extension.umaine.edu/gardening/maine-garlic-project/
This is a participatory research project aimed at increasing the knowledge of Garlic production in Maine.  For $5, participants will receive a bulb of Garlic in the mail.  They will then plant the bulb and record, in an online database, its growth over the course of a year.  The Maine Garlic Project is hoping to gather enough data to make judgments on the optimal planting and harvest times or different areas of Maine.  What do you gain from this?  An exciting project, and a potential lifetime supply of garlic!

PlantWatch - Maine
http://www.maine.gov/dep/air/plantwatch/index.htm
Intended for secondary school students and adults
Help the Maine Department of Environmental Protection gather data that will help track the effects of global warming. All you need to do is register at their website, read their training materials, then begin sending them your observations of plants in bloom.
 

WATER QUALITY

Friends of Casco Bay - Citizen Stewards Water Quality Monitoring Program - Maine

Each year, dozens of volunteers work with Friends of Casco Bay to collect data on water quality. Trained in EPA-approved techniques, these Citizen Stewards collect samples at 30 sites around Casco Bay. Supplementing the sampling and research work done by Friends of Casco Bay staff, volunteers test for dissolved oxygen, a measure of how much oxygen is available to marine life, as well as water temperature, salinity, water clarity, nitrogen, and pH. Volunteers monitor the Bay at 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. (often splitting the day with another team member) on ten scheduled Saturdays from April through October. Volunteers must be 16 or older, although parents and children may work together as a team. After their initial training, new volunteers will continue to receive support throughout the sampling season through on-site visits and regular email or phone check-ins by Friends of Casco Bay staff. Together, our staff and volunteers have collected nearly 250,000 water quality measurements since 1992, making our data set one of the most comprehensive and reliable in Maine. This data is critical as Friends of Casco Bay works with businesses, municipalities, and decision-makers around the Bay to find effective ways to curb pollution.  FMI: use the hotlink above or call 207-799-8574.

 
WEATHER
Community Cooperative Rain, Hail, and Snow (CoCoRaHS) Network - USA
http://www.cocorahs.org
Each state has a volunteer weather-monitoring program known as CoCoRaHS. At this website you can join weather-watchers from across the nation, take on-line training, sign up for additional courses with meteorologists, and learn all you need to know to record and report weather conditions at your home to your local National Weather Service office.

WILDLIFE
Lobster Monitoring - Coastal New England
http://www.lobsters.org
The Lobster Conservancy (TLC) works with fishermen and volunteers throughout the Gulf of Maine region to sustain a thriving lobster fishery through science and community. The Juvenile Lobster Monitoring Project trains citizen volunteers in a rigorous scientific methodology to census intertidal lobster nursery sites. Harboring "baby" lobsters (some only the length of a fingernail), these nursery sites are accessible once a month during the lowest low tides. Their accessibility makes them extremely valuable as indicators of lobster fishery health ? the baby lobsters counted today will be keepers when caught in lobstermen's traps six or seven years from now. More than 60 citizen volunteers surveying over 20 sites make possible an affordable census of the next generation of lobsters, and help manage the resource sustainably. Training is required and provided. A several-year commitment to once-per-month surveys, March through November, is also required.

Maine Audubon Citizen Science Opportunities - Maine
http://www.maineaudubon.org/conserve/citsci.shtml
Maine Audubon sponsors many citizen science opportunities throughout the state. Check their website to get the most up-to-date list. They also host migratory songbird and owl programs where you can watch scientists at work mist netting and banding birds. For more information about the banding programs call the Maine Audubon Staff Naturalist at 781-2330.

Wildlife Watch - USA
http://www.nwf.org/wildlifewatch/
National Wildlife Federation's Wildlife Watch is a national, nature-watching program created for people of all ages. Through the program you can share details that help National Wildlife Federation track the health and behavior of wildlife and plant species nationwide. In return, the Wildlife Watch website keeps you up-to-date on wildlife news and facts, and new ideas for attracting wildlife to your backyard and community.

 

 


Cornerstones of Science
A National Science Literacy Initiative
Originating from Brunswick, Maine
PO Box 955
Brunswick, ME 04011
Executive Director Cynthia Randall
copyright 2012. all rights reserved.
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