NatureMapping, Citizen Science | Scientific American

Energy & Sustainability

NatureMapping

NatureMapping's mission is to protect biodiversity through data collection and dissemination. It is designed to engage citizens of all ages in hands-on, technology-enabled exploration of our natural environment. It fosters an open exchange of scientific information among a growing network of universities, government agencies, science and nature centers, landowners, civic organizations, businesses and interested citizens.

Project Details

PRINCIPAL SCIENTIST: Karen Dvornich
SCIENTIST AFFILIATION: University of Washington
DATES: Ongoing
LOCATION: - The program is offered in 13 states, including Arkansas, California, Idaho, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.
PROJECT TYPE: Observation
COST: Free
GRADE LEVEL: All Ages
TIME COMMITMENT: Variable
HOW TO JOIN:
The program is offered in 13 states, including Arkansas, California, Idaho, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin. Click on a link to any of these projects to get started.

For more information, contact Karen Dvornich, director, National NatureMapping Program, 206-616-2031.

See more projects in Free, Observation, All Ages.

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1. kristi276 08:09 PM 5/2/11

There is a lot of talk about biodiversity and the need to protect "our" natural enviornment. We as humans do not own the planet and we are not its zoo keepers, either. I do agree that more needs to be done to protect the natural enviornment and the species that exist throughout the planet. It has been shown that a well balanced eco system is quite benificial to humans, and that creating spaces that species diversification can clean up the pollution that humankind creates. Should we limit the natural world to nature reserves, like that of zoos; except larger areas where human development can not take place? Or is the subject of biodiversity a thing we can set up like a lab experiment so that we can look at under a microscope? The truth is. We do not need to control nature for it has been doing quite well for over 13 billion years, and if human limited the human enviornment, then the natural enviornment would make a significant recovery for the damage we, homo sapiens, have caused.
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2. scilo 10:58 PM 5/3/11

Unfortunately we humans like our creature comforts. Unfortunate for the creatures.
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What is Citizen Science?

Research often involves teams of scientists collaborating across continents. Now, using the power of the Internet, non-specialists are participating, too. Citizen Science falls into many categories. A pioneering project was SETI@Home, which has harnessed the idle computing time of millions of participants in the search for extraterrestrial life. Citizen scientists also act as volunteer classifiers of heavenly objects, such as in Galaxy Zoo. They make observations of the natural world, as in The Great Sunflower Project. And they even solve puzzles to design proteins, such as FoldIt. We'll add projects regularly—and please tell us about others you like as well.

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