Citizen Science

 Citizen Science

A group of naturewatchers in Southern Maine, Summer of 2015

Citizen Science is the practice of collecting scientific data through public participation. This area of science includes scientific research, data collection, monitoring or other activities done by members of the public including amateur scientists, students, hobbyists, and everyday citizens. Modern technology such as the internet, mobile devices, and websites that allow users to edit or add data (such as Wiki sites, or public databases like eBird.org) have made it possible for large numbers of citizens contribute to research. In the area of ecology has some of the first examples of citizen science programs including the Audubon Society's Christmas Bird Count which began in 1900. Today there are many ways that you can participate in research from your own garden or a local park, woodland, or beach. Many of these programs require just access to a computer or mobile device, and some basic knowledge of the subject. Additionally, some programs have comprehensive guides, offer training programs, and have active forums of experts and amateurs who are willing to help a newcomer. 

Citizen Science and Nature   

Your garden can serve as your own laboratory for nature studies. 

There are many citizen science programs in the areas of ecology and many of them are well-established and have global coverage. Bird and butterfly surveys are among the easiest projects to get involved in as they can be done virtually anywhere (including your own garden) and are friendly to both novices and life-long birdwatchers or butterfly watchers. There are similar survey programs for bees, mammals, wildflowers, fish, frogs, and trees although some of these require more experience and cater to a more specalized group. Some other citizen science projects may involve recording trash and debris collected from creeks (something that Cape Fear Riverwatch, Plastic Oceans, and Keep American Beautiful does), submitting water samples, or gathering meteorological data from a home weather station. The list of programs and projects is vast although I will talk mostly about programs that involve monitoring wildlife. 

Author Story 

House Wren, mistakenly listed as rare bird for NHC according to eBird in 2013 

Since I was a teenager, I have participated in Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) after hearing about it in the newspaper. Each February, I would write down what types of birds visited my bird table or garden and mail or drop off the lists at a local Audubon Chapter to be sent to Cornell University. I also gathered data from local parks and woodlands, at the school, and anywhere else I had a few minutes to watch birds. I participated in the GBBC until around 2013 when Cornell moved away from written or typed checklists (or localized list forms) to an online platform called eBird. This turned me off as I was not into technology nor did I want to give my name and lists to a website. I tried it but the website was complicated, disorganized, and  the taxonomic order and names were changed (another rabbit hole for another discussion). It also had filtering databases to flag rare or unusual species which at the time functioned regionally (resulting in a House Wren, and other species being flagged). This mess led to me moving on from the GBBC and I avoided eBird from that point onwards and kept my lists to myself or contributed by writing sighting lists from Audubon Society walks and emailing them to the chapter. 

Over the years, I had a chance to try out other survey methods including when I went to Maine in the Summer of 2015 to attend an ornithology camp. I used eBird on occasion to find reports or gather data for personal bird surveys such as my New Hanover County Bird Survey document I started in 2015, and to make localized birdlists for parks and natural areas in Wilmington. Many birdwatchers and naturalists use eBird and other sites regularly although I decided to keep my work private and had no interest in submitting my finds online. In the Autumn of 2020 that would change. 

Last autumn, I took a scientific writing and research class and a geospatial technologies class at the local university. Both classes required me to complete a small research project. The writing class was entirely dedicated to writing a research paper that could be submitted to a scientific journal or conference, and included actual data collection, literary reviews, method design, a research poster, and a presentation. I had a good background in scientific writing but learned a lot from this class and was able to conduct a study on birdlife in New Hanover County (as none of the data has been compiled for the region). The pandemic left me homebound and being next to Greenfield Lake, I walked the park several times a week and kept running lists of birds, and other wildlife. Since I was already doing a bird survey, I decided to write my paper on how urban greenspace and parks can provide habitat for birds year-round. Upon looking at other regional and global studies, I found that eBird's databases were a reliable source of data and the NHC database had sightings going back to 1950 (digitalized from archives). 

During my research project, I signed into my old GBBC account I abandoned so I can access the database for New Hanover County, print bar-charts and access metrics that gave month by month or even daily sightings for all species in the county (366 in total). This allowed me to analyze what birds were nesting at area parks or natural areas, wintering populations, rare/unusual species, and even trends in populations. In the GIS class, I did my geospatial survey on locations around Greenfield Lake where I collect bird data for personal studies and shared the ArcGIS Map on this blog and with the university. That semester and the pandemic got me back into citizen-science after stepping back in protest of modern methods. Today, I use eBird to log sightings at Greenfield to contribute to the data pool, and have run into other birdwatchers on the trail. If it was not for this database, my project and countless others would not be possible. The eBird site has bird databases by county, state, and across the world, and is one of the largest citizen science projects out there. Birders, scientists, university students and amateurs all use this site to log sightings or gather data to identify trends in population, distribution, habitat usage, and to find migration hotspots. This experience taught me that citizens play an important role in scientific research and technologies can be improved to distribute data across the world. I encourage everyone to give eBird a try or find a similar program in a topic of their interest or just take notes on what you see in the field. 

Bird Surveys 

A pair of Pintails at Greenfield Feb 2nd, 2021, an unusual find at this locale. This reported on eBird.org to provide data for scientists and birdwatchers alike

Bird surveys are among the most accessible avenues to participate in ecological studies without being a scientist or student. Any person who is interested in birds can take part and one does not need to know every bird or song to contribute. Someone who reports chickadees at a feeder, or Rock Doves in an urban park is contributing to the data pool. Today, eBird is the primary platform for sharing and analysing bird sightings, and is a project of Cornell Lab of Ornithology, just like the GBBC and Project Nestwatch. The Audubon Society also provides citizen science opportunities during the Christmas Bird Count although this survey takes place on a specific day and is usually determined by a regional branch. I encourage all birdwatchers, or anyone who watches birds in their garden to upload to eBird or participate in one of the many programs out there as your sightings matter and can help scientists develop conservation measures for birds and other wildlife. 

eBird.org: Cornell Lab of Ornithology's eBird site is a global database and platform where anyone can contribute data. This is one of the few bird databases that covers the world and offers national, regional, and local datasets in real-time. In addition to new sightings, the database also catalogues historical data and works with other ornithological organizations to compile data going back to the early 20th Century. As stated in my story, the website offers local and regional bird data in many formats, has geospatial maps showing population densities and migration routes, and allows researcher to access the data for projects. Additionally, anyone with an account can log his or her sightings and keep a life-list and add notes, comments, or digital media to the dataset. eBird's localized lists change daily based on what species are expected in an area, and now allows users to switch to a list that includes rarities if they saw something unusual or notable.  The site is integrated into Cornell's other projects and even links each bird to its respective All About Bird profile with images and side-by-side comparisons. Lastly, most localities including New Hanover County have their own sites with bird hotspots, photo galleries, maps, and a regional database manager who makes sure the data is reliable. The site is free to use and relies on donations and grants.

Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC): The GBBC is one of the largest bird surveys in the world and unlike the Christmas Bird Count, this survey runs over a one week period in February. In the past, the GBBC relied on forms or printed lists that were sent to Cornell to be compiled and reviewed by the lab. However, since 2013 the program is now integrated into eBird and allows for the census to be conducted globally. Anyone can participate by uploading their bird sightings. Data from gardens, home birdfeeders, and local parks is encouraged as it provides insight on what species are using urban areas or gardens, and makes it accessible to casual bird lovers. This year's GBBC runs from February 12th to 15th, 2021.  

Project NestWatch: Project NestWatch is a citizen science program that specalizes in monitoring the nesting activity of birds in North America. This program is also through Cornell and is open to users once they take an online quiz. This program is a little different from the other ornithological surveys as it requires more knowledge and is more involved than just reporting sightings. NestWatch provides data that can track population trends, suitable habitat, identify shifts in breeding range, and survival rate. People can just collect data from garden birds or can go out into parks or natural areas to observe nests of birds. Anyone who monitors bluebirds, chickadees, swallows, or wrens in birdhouses can also include their data into the stream. 

Project FeederWatch: FeederWatch is a sister project of NestWatch that specalizes in collecting data from bird tables or feeders. This program has more of an emphasis on urban and suburban environments and runs from November through April. Participants record birds that they see in their gardens or at a nature center, park, or community area and submit them online. You can choose the time, days, or duration and like the GBBC it contributes to a dataset that is used by scientists and researchers. According to the website, FeederWatch will send a research kit with instructions, bird ID posters and other materials needed to conduct research. Unlike the other programs, FeederWatch has a participation fee which supports materials, staff, and ongoing research and has a number of benefits such as a magazine subscription, bird report, and a calendar. 

Programs Beyond Birds 

Red Spotted Purple, after birds, butterflies are the second easiest animal to study in citizen science. Butterfly watching can contribute to science just like birdwatching.

There are a number of citizen science programs that cover other plants and animals. While many of these programs are not as expansive or well-developed as the Cornell bird programs, there are plenty of local, regional, and international programs available. I will go over a handful of survey programs that could be done in our area and are fairly easy to participate in.

Butterflies and Moths: There are several butterfly surveys that are hosted in North America as well as some international ones. The website e-butterfly.org is similar to eBird where registered users can log sightings on a global database and the program is supported by donations and grants. Other programs such as the North American Butterfly Count are coordinated efforts that take place in designated count areas and involve a fee.

Bees, Wasps, and Pollinators: There are several pollinator counts that are organized across the world although bee, and wasp surveys are far less common. Some of them are run within states while others are cover all areas of the US and are supported by the by the Xerces Society. The Bumblebee Watch program is a good example of this.

Reptiles and Amphibians: The population of reptiles and amphibians are also being studied through citizen sciences and some government bodies. These include the  Association of Zoos and Aquariums Frogwatch USA, and a number of state or localized programs. Like birds, frogs can be identified by their calls and North Carolina has a program that lets volunteers report frog sounds although it is not like eBird and requires some commitment. According to North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, there are training sessions available.

Mammals: eMammal is a program that tracks mammals  and other wildlife using camera traps to capture photos of animals in public areas or on private land of participants. This program has allowed scientists and citizens to see nocturnal animals in urban and wilderness areas, observe rare or furtive animals that were thought to be extirpated, and monitor invasive or human-adapted species like Coyotes or Nutria. The program has a database of photos and data and allows individuals, educational institutions and land managers to check out cameras or use their own. There is a small setup fee for organizers. North Carolina's Candid Critters is part of this program and covers all 100 counties of North Carolina. This program has cameras available at participating libraries, and asks people to set up the system for three weeks (including in your own garden) and upload it using their software. The site even has a training course and resources for beginners. 

Independent Surveys: I strongly encourage everyone who is into gardening, or  nature to keep track of their sightings, start a nature journal. Even if it is not uploaded to a database or done in coordination with a project, the data is still valuable and can increase your understanding of nature. I routinely record what birds, mammals, reptiles, and plants I see in local parks or woodlands, sketch or draw specimens and take photographs for personal record. It may also be a good idea to take note of the surroundings such as landmarks, street names, types of trees/plant, or the time of day and season. Your drawings, writings, and photos do not have to be good to contribute to knowledge or capture a moment in nature. A rubbish sketch or blurry photo can be useful in identifying an unfamiliar species of bird, insect, or flower. Additionally you could share your information through a  blog, photo hosting service, social media, or with your family, friends, and fellow nature lovers. I will talk more about nature journaling and field notes in a future blog article.