Citizen Science in the News

Google is making a $50,000 financial connection with Galaxy Zoo to support the continued development of the program, and to extend the reach and usability of GoogleSky. Professor Bob Nichol, a Galaxy Zoo team member and faculty at the University of Portsmouth, is the recipient of the grant.

Google sure is getting into everything these days… sound like a familiar Mr. Gates a few years back? … fortunately, the technology is pretty great for assisting amateur scientists to great things!

“Zoo receives cash boost from Google” :: University of Portsmouth News :: July 10, 2008 :: [ READ ]

The Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission has successfully recruited citizen scientists in the area to record over 2,500 observations of box turtle activity during an eight-month period last year, and are continuing the efforts this year. The box turtle population is potentially being threatened, and the mass data collection is being used to determine it status.

This collective work of amateurs is yet another example of how citizen science is being taken more seriously … in particular, because it is proving to be so useful to organizations who simply don’t have the people-power to gather large amounts of data.

If you live in the area or would like to preview the preliminary data, visit the Natural Heritage program on line.

“Citizen scientists at work on survey” :: Arkansas Democrat Gazette :: July 8, 2008 :: [ READ ]

The following email plea was recently sent out by the SETI@HOME program to encourage citizen scientists to contact Congress right away to insist on the continued funding of Arecibo Radio Telescope, which is the source for all data analysized through SETI. Please consider how important this program is to you personally, and consider becoming involved with the data analysis, if you have not yet already done so [ LEARN MORE ]

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Arecibo Observatory, the world’s largest radio telescope and the source for the SETI@home data that your computer analyzes, faces massive budget cuts that will END its ability to continue the search for life beyond Earth. The decision to ensure full funding currently rests upon votes in Congress on Senate Bill S.2862 and House Resolution H.R. 3737. These bills desperately need more support.

Please take a moment to help us SAVE ARECIBO.

Clicking the link below will direct you to a web page that allows you to print out letters prepared for your Senators and Congressional Representative urging them to support Arecibo. Printing and mailing the letters is really easy, too! You will also have the chance to add a few personal thoughts, if you wish, to let your Senators and Representative know why this funding is important to you! And if you’re really feeling passionate about saving Arecibo, please use these letters as the basis for letters you write yourself, urging your congressmen and women to vote to save Arecibo.

Because our representatives in Congress rarely give much attention to all the email they receive, printing out and MAILING these letters via standard U.S. Postal mail remains our best option for contacting them and our best hope for saving Arecibo (The second best option is to call your representatives). Your 42 cent stamps on these letters could help us get the millions of dollars needed to save Arecibo.

Our search cannot continue without the necessary support. Your work, as SETI@home participants, represents an indispensable resource for conducting the search. Now, we need your help to ensure that our other most valuable resource – our eyes and ears to the cosmos – can continue to probe the universe as we seek to answer the question: Is there anybody out there?

[ OPEN ARECIBO LETTER ]

Thank you for your help,

The SETI@home Team

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Citizen scientists are making more significant contributions in South Carolina where the Swallow-tailed Kite (more) has become severely geographically restricted, and is now considered endangered.

The current extent of the bird’s habitat has been mapped out only because of the reporting of observations from people living in the area. In fact, the ten-year-old national wildlife refuge, Waccamaw, was established based on citizen science observations.

View from the Caw Caw Interpretive Center, Jessica Johnson, The Post and Courier

The South Carolina Swallow-tailed Kites Working Group is heading up critical programs to continue monitoring and mapping the habitat development of the bird. You may join in this project by reporting your own observations and bird sightings by registering with The Center for Birds of Prey, who is managing the on line database.

“Monitoring helps define rarely seen bird’s habitat” :: The Post and Courier Charleston.net :: July 3, 2008 :: [ READ ]

REPORT SWALLOW-TAILED KITES SIGHTINGS

In August 2006, BBC Radio 4 featured a great 3-week program on citizen science activities in Great Britain. You may listen to the archived programs online, which are now featured in the DPRI Learning/EDU section.

Be inspired by people who love doing amateur research and how they contribute valuable information to the scientific community. [ LISTEN NOW ]

Wildlife monitoring at Glacier National Park in Montana is the daunting responsibility of two biologists, little funding, a whole lot of ground to cover, and hundreds of species to track.

Over the past couple of summers, local volunteers have been trained to travel deep into the backwoods of the park and monitor population levels of animals that are of serious concern. The data collection has been tremedous, and would have otherwise been impossible to organize without the army of amateurs dedicated to supporting the park.

Through the Crown of the Continent Research Learning Center  at the park, additional training sessions will be available in July for those interested in participating. Call 406.888.7986 for more information.

“Citizen Scientists to the Rescue for Glacier Park” :: Flathead Beacon :: June 26, 2008 :: [ READ ]

[ VIEW ] Live Webcams at Glacier National Park