Natural History Training Session for VIC Volunteers and Friends of the VIC:
Citizen Science Projects
Saturday, 12 April 2014
9:30 AM to noon
Birds of the Adirondacks: American Black Ducks on Black Pond (23 April 2013)
Citizen science is scientific research conducted, in whole or in part, by amateur or nonprofessional scientists, collecting data on the natural world. Early citizen scientists include Teddy Roosevelt, an avid naturalist who visited Paul Smiths in his youth and collected data on the bird species he observed during his visits. His log book was later published as The summer birds of the Adirondacks in Franklin County.
Examples of current citizen science projects include:
- Christmas Bird Count – the Audubon Society's annual census of birds in the western hemisphere
- Project FeederWatch – a winter-long survey of birds that visit feeders at backyards, nature centers, community areas, and other locales in North America
- EBird – a real-time, online checklist program designed to maximize the utility and accessibility of the vast numbers of bird observations made each year by recreational and professional bird watchers
- iNaturalist – an online data base of birds, animals, plants, fish, amphibians, reptiles, and insects
- Butterflies and Moths of North America – an online data base of confirmed sightings based on photographs
This Natural History Training Session – part of a series of training sessions for VIC volunteers and Friends of the VIC – will provide a chance to learn all about citizen science projects available to folks living in the Adirondacks. We will look at bird, mammal, insect, wildflower, amphibian, and tree citizen science projects that you can use to track your own outdoor experiences and help scientists answer big questions, such as the impact of climate change on plants and animals. This program is free to all volunteers and Friends of the VIC.