April is Citizen Science Month! Discover ways to explore the world around you while benefitting scientific research.
Anyone can participate in projects in a variety of disciplines including ecology, astronomy, medicine, computer science, psychology, engineering, and more. Projects can be done in nature or at home on a computer or smart device.
All projects begin with SciStarter, where you can search, learn more about, and sign-up to particiapte in a variety of projects. Getting started is easy: find a project you're interested in and go.
Below are a few fun, no-cost, easy to begin projects.
The GLOBE Observer: Clouds project is presented by NASA and the The GLOBE Program with the goal to "help scientists understand the sky from above and below," and "allows you to ground-truth NASA satellite data."
The primary objective is to photograph clouds, record observations of the sky, and share with NASA.
Tools: Smartphone or tablet, and the GLOBE Observer app (free)
To get started, download the GLOBE Observer app from the Google Play or Apple App Store, create an account, then select Cloud Protocol. Read through the instructions and begin recording your observations.
If you enjoy this project, GLOBE observer also records observations on land cover, mosquito habitats, and trees.
The Happiness Project asks participants to play games for science. The goal of this project is to "study the psychology and neuroscience of well-being." Researchers do that by asking you to play games that test decision-making skills, then answer some questions about your mental health.
Tools: Smartphone or tablet and The Happiness Project app (free)
Download the app from the Google Play or Apple App Store, read and agree to the terms, provide some demographic information, and play. Each game will provide directions before you begin.
The goal of the iNaturalist project is to "share observations of biodiversity." The app allows you to share observations, but also search for unknown species. There are many plant/animal/fungi identifying apps available, but iNaturalist provides information on all three and provides a large amount of data for scientists to monitor changes in biodiversity.
Tools: Smartphone or tablet and the iNaturalist app (free)
Download the app from the Google Play or Apple App store, create an account, and add your observations. Check out the how-to video.
Bonus: Alachua County is participating in City Nature Challenge 2021 utilizing the iNaturalist app from April 30 to May 3. Visit the link above, log in or create an iNaturalist account, then click Join to participate in this project.
If indoor pursuits are more your style, help transcribe documents with the Smithsonian Transcription Center. Their goal is to "make historical data more accessible for research and discovery," by having participants, "transcribe and review handwritten documents and specimen labels."
Tools: Computer with internet access
General instructions are available on Smithsonian's website. If it sounds like a fun project, click Sign up to join.
Learn more about citizen science
