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Volunteer as a Citizen Scientist

Overview

What is a Citizen Scientist, you ask? One definition is a member of the general public who voluntarily participates in scientific research, contributing to data collection and analysis to enhance scientific knowledge. Another definition would simply be a Texas Master Naturalist!

To learn more about being a citizen scientist, please review the presentation from our initial training course. The slide presentation is linked below. Part 1 of the video explains what a citizen is, while part 2 describes many of the citizen science projects the chapter participates in.

  • Citizen Science Slide Presentation 
  • Citizen Science Video, Part 1, What is a Citizen Scientist? –
  • Citizen Science Video, Part 2, Projects –

Areas of Interest

An endless selection of citizen science projects is available. Please click on an area of interest below to see some of the projects that the chapter participates in. If you have a project that is not listed here, please submit a Volunteer Service Project Request Form to have it approved.

  • General Tools – iNaturalist and eBird
  • Birding
  • Nest Box Monitoring
  • Bat Acoustic Monitoring
  • Weather Data Collection
  • Monarchs and Migration
  • Timber Data Collection
  • Water Quality Monitoring
  • Other Areas

 

General Tools – iNaturalist and eBird:

Many citizen science projects use the iNaturalist and/or eBird tools to record and process the collected data. Both tools are world-wide databases used to help make decisions concerning conservation practices.

  • iNaturalist – https://www.inaturalist.org
  • eBird – https://ebird.org/home

Please see the Naturalist Resources QR Code Brochure page to load these applications on your phone. Also note that there are restrictions on logging hours when these tools are used for casual observation purposes. Please see the state documentation available on the Chapter Documents page for more information.

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Birding:

  • Christmas Bird Count (Audubon Society) – https://www.audubon.org/community-science/christmas-bird-count
  • Global Big Day (Cornell University) – https://ebird.org/globalbigday
  • Backyard Bird Count (Cornell University) – https://www.birdcount.org
  • Project Feeder Watch (Cornell University) – https://feederwatch.org
  • Breeding Bird Survey (USGS) – https://www.usgs.gov/centers/eesc/science/north-american-breeding-bird-survey

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Nest Box Monitoring

  • NestWatch (Cornell University) – https://nestwatch.org

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Bat Acoustic Monitoring:

  • Texas Nature Tracker Project –

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Weather Data Collection:

  • CoCoRaHs – https://www.cocorahs.org

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Monarchs and Migration:

  • Journey North – https://journeynorth.org
  • Monarch Watch – https://www.monarchwatch.org

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Timber Data Collection:

  • Adventure Scientists – https://www.adventurescientists.org

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Water Quality Monitoring:

  • Texas Stream Team – https://www.meadowscenter.txst.edu/Leadership/TexasStreamTeam.html

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Other Areas of Interest:

  • Texas A&M Herbarium / BRIT Survey (training required) – https://fwbg.org/science-conservation/herbarium/
  • Zooniverse – https://www.zooniverse.org

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Mailing Address:
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Office, Lamar County
4315 Bonham St Ste A
Paris TX 75460-5213
903.737.2443

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