Science takes a lot of work . . . a lot of teamwork. All the scientists in the world couldn’t gather all the info they need without the help of citizen scientists.

Join in! No lab coat required. 

You’re the Scientist 

We’re just getting started! Research other citizen scientist projects such as numbering bird nests, listening for frogs, counting crabs, and tracking wildflowers.  The Earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof. — Psalm 24:1

Do you live in Mexico, Canada, or the United States? If so, you can help scientists count butterflies moving across the continent. Butterfly monitoring organizations offer online training. Some focus just on monarchs. Others gather data about butterflies of all kinds. Find a spot where milkweed (monarch caterpillar food) is growing. Report amounts of milkweed, larvae, pupae, and adult butterflies.

Look for Butterflies

Healthy water matters for every kind of life. Take the EarthEcho Water Challenge. You can order water test kits on the organization’s website. Use your kit to measure pH, dissolved oxygen, temperature, and turbidity (cloudiness) of a body of water near you. Join more than a million other citizen scientists all over the world by entering your data online.

Test Water

Mark your calendars! Between December 14 and January 5, bird watchers look to the skies during the Audubon Christmas Bird Count. Volunteers move through 15-mile circles. They count every bird they see or hear all day. Your house might actually already be inside an established 15-mile Audubon circle. If so, you can do your research right from home.

Count Birds

How many types of plants and animals live in every part of the world? That’s a HUGE question. No one person could ever answer it alone. Use your eyes and ears. Is a rare insect inching across your backyard? What weeds are growing there? Every observation contributes to biodiversity science. Use an app such as iNaturalist to share what you find.

Watch Wildlife

Go outside after dark but before the Moon rises. Use a night sky app on a phone to find a constellation. Note the date, time, and your latitude and longitude. What is the faintest star you can see in the sky? Upload this info at globeatnight.org. Lots of gathered observation will enable scientists to understand light pollution.

Measure Light Pollution