With all the talk about lab coats, beakers, bunsen burners and such, science can seem awfully intimidating, but these days, the barrier to participation in science is lower than ever.
In this episode of the podcast, Aquarium Educator II Stephanie Soto talks about how you — yes, YOU — can help a brother or sister researcher out through citizen science projects. This egalitarian approach to academic studies opens the door for laypeople to make meaningful contributions by recording and reporting their observations and other data to a project creator.
Check out Stephanie’s iNaturalist page, including her ongoing project to document plant and animal species found in downtown Chattanooga.
Looking for a citizen science opportunity that’s coming up soon (or will happen predictably each year)? Learn how you can take part in the Audubon Christmas Bird Count.
Episode cast
- Casey Phillips, Senior Communications Specialist and Host-Captain
- Stephanie Soto, Educator II and Citizen Scientist Extraordinaire
Citizen Science Resources
- NASA’s Citizen Science projects
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s eBird
- FrogWatch USA
- Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute Freshwater Information Network
- BugGuide.net
- Zooniverse
- iNaturalist
Tune in to this episode below or check out more ways to listen on our Podcast Aquatic main page.
