Down to Earth: Citizen science helping to prepare biggest-ever database on Indian wild canids. “The largest-ever database on wild canids or members of the dog family that are native to India is being formed, with ‘citizen science’ playing a major role in the process. The Wild Canids–India Project has multiple components, each of which is designed to get a comprehensive understanding of the ecological and conservation requirements of wild canids and hyenas in India.”
citizen science
Atlas Obscura: You Can Now Eavesdrop on Orcas on Your Computer
Atlas Obscura: You Can Now Eavesdrop on Orcas on Your Computer . “An internet app called OrcaSound allows citizen scientists to livestream the ocean sounds of the Pacific Northwest from anywhere in the world, to help gather data about the resident killer whales and their environs. Scott Veirs, the project’s lead researcher, said that hydrophones (underwater microphones) have been in place off Washington’s San Juan Island since the mid-2000s, capturing the submarine goings-on and bringing them to listeners in a rudimentary form. The app relaunched recently, and now offers real-time streaming, as well as sounds from an all-new hydrophone station off Whidbey Island, just to the southeast of the the older ones.”
New Report Says ‘Citizen Science’ Can Support Both Science Learning and Research Goals; Inequities in Education, Opportunities, and Resources Must be Addressed to Meet Participants’ Learning Demands (The National Academies)
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine: New Report Says ‘Citizen Science’ Can Support Both Science Learning and Research Goals; Inequities in Education, Opportunities, and Resources Must be Addressed to Meet Participants’ Learning Demands . “Scientific research that involves nonscientists contributing to research processes – also known as ‘citizen science’ – supports participants’ learning, engages the public in science, contributes to community scientific literacy, and can serve as a valuable tool to facilitate larger scale research, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. If one of the goals of a citizen science project is to advance learning, designers should plan for it by defining intended learning outcomes and using evidence-based strategies to reach those outcomes.”
Museum calls for key-use: Will make mega-collection digital (TV 2 Lorry)
I am translating both the headline and the pull quote from Danish using Google Translate. Apologies for any errors. TV 2 Lorry: Museum calls for key-use: Will make mega-collection digital. “Currently, approximately 4,000 butterflies have been photographed and digitized. But all the small print on the tiny handwritten labels, with information about the butterfly, must also be entered. The mini labels, which are not larger than a nail, are placed on the needle under each butterfly in the collection.” The project is being administered by Zooniverse. I went to the project side and did one butterfly with minimal difficulty (I had a little trouble reading a handwritten label in Danish.) Mostly the project is asking you if labels are there, what the dates are, etc.
Public Radio East: Shark Spotting Citizen-Science Program Launches
Public Radio East: Shark Spotting Citizen-Science Program Launches. “The Spot A Shark USA program starts June 1. People who encounter sand tiger sharks are asked to upload their photos to the online database. Marine scientists will be able to use the pictures to identify individual sharks and track their movements, said South-East Zoo Alliance for Reproduction and Conservation Dr. Avery Paxton. “
NASA: Help NASA Create the Largest Landslide Database
NASA: Help NASA Create the Largest Landslide Database. “Landslides cause thousands of deaths and billions of dollars in property damage each year. Surprisingly, very few centralized global landslide databases exist, especially those that are publicly available. Now NASA scientists are working to fill the gap—and they want your help collecting information. In March 2018, NASA scientist Dalia Kirschbaum and several colleagues launched a citizen science project that will make it possible to report landslides you have witnessed, heard about in the news, or found on an online database. All you need to do is log into the Landslide Reporter portal and report the time, location, and date of the landslide—as well as your source of information.”
Larry Ferlazzo: National Geographic’s “Open Explorer” Lets Anyone Create Their Own Expedition
Larry Ferlazzo: National Geographic’s “Open Explorer” Lets Anyone Create Their Own Expedition. “National Geographic has just unveiled Open Explorer. They call it a ‘digital field journal’ where anyone can document their exploration of anything (they use ‘your backyard’ as one simple example), as well as follow the explorations of others (many are much more involved than a backyard).”
