The CBC database is the repository of early winter bird observations recorded since 1900. Currently there are over 2100 count circles submitted each year (as of 2008). The database provides information for compilers, regional editors, Audubon conservation staff, ornithologists, academic researchers, federal, state and local wildlife and land planning agencies, educators, birders, chapters, ornithological societies, and the general public to learn about citizen science, bird distribution and population trends.
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National Audubon SocietyBird Studies CanadaNorth American Breeding Bird SurveyCornell UniversityFrank Chapman
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds (RTHU), Archilochus colubris, are the most widely distributed of the 339 species of hummingbirds, occurring in all ten countries of North and Central America. They come frequently to nectar plants and backyard sugar water feeders and are easily observed. Nonetheless, many aspects of RTHU natural history are not well understood, so “Operation RubyThroat: The Hummingbird Project” has teamed with EarthTrek to allow citizen scientists to collect data about RTHU migration and nesting. Operation RubyThroat has been in operation since 1984 as a outreach initiative of Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History in York, South Carolina USA. The project is also affiliated with The GLOBE Program, through which K-12 teachers and students make hummingbird observations and submit data through the GLOBE Web site. Now, through EarthTrek, adult citizen scientists and independent students also can contribute important data to the overall Operation RubyThroat project. Principal Investigator for Operation RubyThroat is Bill Hilton Jr., an internationally known educator-naturalist recognized by Discover Magazine as one of the top ten citizen scientists. Each winter Bill takes groups of adult citizen scientists to Central America to help with hands-on studies of RTHU on their wintering grounds. These trips to Central America are coordinated through Holbrook Travel, one of EarthTrek's concept partners; while in the Neotropics participants continue to collect RTHU data to earn additional EarthTrek points through participation in Operation RubyThroat. To learn about these successes—or to find out how you can join Bill on one of his exciting trips in 2010 or beyond—please visit the Operation RubyThroat Web site. You may also wish to keep abreast of hummingbird activities and other natural history happenings by subscribing to "This Week at Hilton Pond," a regular series of award-winning photo essays written by Bill and available on line through the Hilton Pond Web site.
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Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History
This is a USDA supported project that aims to better understand the spread of invasive plants in forested parklands that have high conservation value and high levels of public use. There is very little information about this in our region, which makes it difficult for park managers to determine the magnitude of the problem or how to manage it. Citizen volunteers help us to gather data on infestation during hikes on trails in areas of concern.
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Rutgers UniversityNew York-New Jersey Trail Conference
This is one of three focus point presentations as part of the session titled "Community Building for Citizen Science," delivered on day three of the Citizen Science Toolkit Conference at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in Ithaca, New York on June 20-23, 2007. Geoff LeBaron, Director of the Christmas Bird Count at the National Audubon Society, provides a brief overview of the citizen science program and how it is used. In particular, LeBaron discusses the challenges of rewarding and maintaining an audience, your participants, and diverse users.
California NatureMapping is starting up through individual Centers that are trained and supported by the National NatureMapping Program. The goals are the same to link natural resource agencies with citizens and schools through biodiversity data collection and analyses. Currently, K-12 students are the main focus for NatureMapping training and local research projects. These projects include inventorying and monitoring wildlife through the Fresno County Schools and bioblitzes and tracking in the Bay area.
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Karen DvornichRiekes Center for Human EnhancementScout Island Education Center
resourceresearchProfessional Development, Conferences, and Networks
This discussion was held during the final plenary session on day three of the Citizen Science Toolkit Conference at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in Ithaca, New York on June 20-23, 2007. Topics discussed include citizen science as a new field or discipline, the science role that citizen scientists play, next steps, issues to consider, suggestions, and developing (or not) a shared data infrastructure.
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Cathy McEverCornell Lab of Ornithology
Every year, strong northerly winds push thousands of raptors from Maine and Canada south along the eastern coastline as they migrate to warmer areas for the winter. With its wide-open views and tallest vantage point in the area, Acadia's HawkWatch location on Cadillac Mt. can often provide visitors with a close look at the raptors. Park rangers, volunteers, and visitors count and identify the raptors as they pass by. Ranger program is conducted daily (weather dependent) from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
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Acadia National ParkHawk Migration Association of North America
The Minnesota Odonata Survey Project is a volunteer effort to determine the ranges and distribution of Minnesota's dragonflies and damselflies (odonates). Citizen scientists will catch and identify odonates and report back to the MOSP with their findings. There are many species in Minnesota whose ranges are not known. Finding a new county record is a common occurrence, and there are many new state records to be found as well!
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Minnesota Department of Natural ResourcesKurt Mead
This new 'citizen science' project is a cooperation between Audubon California, The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, and PRBO Conservation Science. The goal is to determine how important California's Central Valley is for wintering Long-billed Curlews.
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Natural History Museum of Los AngelesPRBO Conservation ScienceAudubon CaliforniaMelissa Pitkin
Puget Sound Seabird Survey (PSSS) is a citizen-science survey organized by Seattle Audubon since the fall of 2007. PSSS empowers volunteer birdwatchers to gather valuable data on wintering seabird populations in Puget Sound. Over sixty sites are surveyed in central and south Puget Sound (Island, Jefferson, King, Kitsap, Pierce, Snohomish, and Thurston counties). All survey sites are visited within the same four-hour window on the first Saturday of each month (Oct-Apr), thus taking a synchronized "snapshot" of seabird densities on nearly 5 square miles of near-shore salt water (that's 2,200 football fields!). It is the only land-based, multi-month survey in central or south Puget Sound and it's 100% citizen science!
This poster was presented at the April 2011 workshop, Engaging and Learning for Conservation. It describes the 10-year strategy UK National Museum of Natural History for engaging visitors in citizen science.