Bye-Bye Birds

We're not talking about just spring that could be silent.

Pesticides threatened bird species, and Rachel Carson wrote Silent Spring. Global warming threatens birds on a whole other level by stripping them of habitat, and to communicate the issue, the Audubon Society has released a great new Web site. The site details and articulates how global warming is impacting bird species in the United States. It also contains interactive features and collaborative content.

Using data compiled with the help of citizen science, the site provides visuals of ways global warming affects bird habitat. It spotlights certain species and gives people the chance to see the impacts on their local area. (For instance, it was sad to see that the ruffed grouse, one of my favorite birds, is likely to leave the region of Washington state where I grew up.) Another cool aspect of the site is that it contains content that others have produced in response to the Audubon Society's report, expanding the conversation about the issue. Finally, the site also provides ways to help address global warming.

Perhaps the most startling part of the Web site is the information that 314 of the country's bird species are severely threatened by global warming. Considering that fact, it's vital we put this puzzle together and address global warming soon.

It's either that or we'll be forced to get used to the sounds of silence.

Bee Aware, Bee Connected

The buzz about looking out for bees continues to grow.

Declines in populations of bee species, both domestic honey bees and wild bumblebees, have sparked a need to better understand these insects and what is happening to them. A project called Bumble Bee Watch turns to citizen science to collect data about bumblebee sightings.

Bumble Bee Watch works through a simple process. Individuals take pictures of the bumblebees they see, log in to the project's Web site, post the pictures, identify the species, and get expert verification on the identification. By posting the pictures, people contribute to science and conservation efforts and develop a virtual collection of the bees they've encountered. For more information about the project, click here.

I love that Bumble Bee Watch gives us insight that can help bumblebees survive. However, the project also allows us to connect with bumblebees and better understand their story. That's a key ingredient for a successful relationship.

It's great to gain knowledge of nature, but really getting to know it is even better.

A Moment of Wonder

Encounters with wildlife give us a rush. We hurry to record and share them, and they fill us with an urge to learn more about nature.

In fact, the experiences we have with wildlife are so powerful, we often fail to capture and express the full impact they have on us. When it comes to recording, sharing, and learning, however, social media contain great potential, and the National Wildlife Federation has collaborated with the maker of an app called WildObs to make the most of our meetings with wildlife.

WildObs allows us to put wildlife at the center of our lives. Using the app, we can chronicle the wildlife experiences we've had. In addition, we can connect with others who love interacting with nature, and we can contribute to citizen science through the NWF's Wildlife Watch program. For more information about the app, which can be used on iPhones and Android smart phones and is also available on Flickr, click here.

Each moment of interaction with wildlife provides opportunity and inspiration to connect more with nature. To make the impacts of the moment last, we need an outlet for our experience, and WildObs offers such a tool.

WildObs may not be the beginning of a beautiful friendship with nature, but it's a great next step.

Getting to Know Yew (and Other Trees)

There's a stranger in town. It's tall, quiet, and probably green.

Doesn't that sound like someone you'd like to know more about? Well, if you're in the Emerald City, the Seattle Audubon Society will make the introduction for you. 

Realizing that we often overlook trees and the important role they play in cities, Seattle Audubon has created the Seattle Tree Map. A citizen-science and community-improvement project, Seattle Tree Map lets Seattleites discover and learn about the city's trees. The project also calculates the economic and environmental value of having living trees within the city. Citizens can participate by contributing new or updated information about the trees. To learn more about the project, click here.

We tend not to associate nature with cities, so we miss many opportunities to connect with it. However, the trees are right there, waiting to show us the roadmap for an urban relationship with the environment.

After all, the ecological community doesn't stop at the city limits.

A Fish in the Crowd

For once, it's okay to go with the crowd.

Crowdsourcing uses large, public groups to supply information that organizations have typically had to produce on their own or purchase. Citizen science is one form of crowdsourcing, and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) recently introduced a new effort to utilize this resource.

Freshwater Fish BioBlitz, which the WWF describes here, generates scientific data about freshwater fish species through photographs uploaded by everyday citizens. The images help scientists track species and analyze habitat quality. To contribute to the project, click here.

With Freshwater Fish BioBlitz, you don't have to jump off the bridge to be like everyone else. All you have to do is take a picture if you see a fish while you're there.

Window Watching

Our windows are killers, and they need to be watched.

Millions of birds are killed each year when they collide with the windows on our buildings. With numbers like that, it's important to learn as much as we can and address the problem. That's why the University of Alberta is investigating bird-window collisions, and we can help.

The university's Birds and Windows Project collects data on window-caused bird deaths, and the data comes from citizen science, which means that by tracking and reporting these deaths at our homes, we can hopefully help find solutions to the problem. For more information about how to participate, click here.

Don't let those windows out of your sight.

Social Media Go Wild

Your next friend on Facebook might have four legs or maybe fins.

Science is embracing social media more, and one of the most interest developments is Wild Me, which is a platform for linking the public to wildlife and scientists. People can use Wild Me to friend a specific animal on Facebook and receive scientific information about it. Right now, Wild Me connects only with Facebook, but the plan is to expand it to other social media. Check out the video describing it below:



This idea has great potential for citizen science, connecting people with the environment, and helping them understand scientific information. Because it is in its early phases, the project is seeking help with funding, so if you'd like to help or just learn more about it, click here.

It's good to see the interactions of the Web including the whole web of life.

What Really Counts

Counting birds sounds like a lot more fun than counting presents.

For the 114th year, the National Audubon Society will hold its Christmas Bird Count. This is a great opportunity to experience some birds during the winter and contribute to citizen science.

Counting takes place from North America to South America, December 14 to January 5. You can find a counting site near you and sign up to participate by clicking here.

This count is a lot more fun than six geese a-laying.

Otter Be Good

In any form, citizen science is fun, but when it involves river otters, the enjoyment is off the chart.

Not many species get as much fun out of life as river otters. Even with habitat loss and pollution decreasing its range, the species continues on with a bounce in its step and a twinkle in its eye.

San Francisco Bay is one place where the otter population has been decimated. However, recent signs have suggested a new beginning for the species in that area. To study the hopeful comeback, The River Otter Ecology Project has turned to citizen science, asking people to document and report sightings of river otters through its Otter Spotter program. For more information, click here.

Seeing river otters is cool. Witnessing their return to a place is truly special.

Spot On

As if watching and photographing birds weren't cool enough, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology is giving prizes for doing those things.

I recently blogged about the upcoming season of Project FeederWatch, a citizen-science effort run by the lab. A connected contest is BirdSpotter. Now through February 12, BirdSpotter participants can upload a photo that meets the weekly theme. Each entry is eligible to win gifts from the lab and Bob's Red Mill Natural Foods. The grand prize is a trip to Oregon. For more information, click here.

All that's left is to get the camera and find a good spot.

Still Watching

It's time to find some winter projects; it's time to find some birds.

Project FeederWatch is gearing up for a new season with a new Web site. I've already blogged about the project here and here. This great bit of citizen science from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology allows people to provide important data on birds while enjoying the sight of feathered friends during winter.

The new Web site lets participants upload bird photographs directly instead of submitting e-mails. It also helps people discover what birds are most prevalent in their region and provides tools to aid in identifying species. To check out the site and learn more about the project, click here.

Many birds leave for the winter, but with a feeder in the backyard, there's always something to see. Add to ornithological data as you watch.

Dragonfly Squadron

When it comes to keeping tracking of dragonflies, it's a case of science meeting art.

The elegance of dragonflies cannot be denied. They are one of those creatures that cause me to stop whatever I'm doing and watch. That appeal would seem to make them prime candidates for citizen science projects, and the Migratory Dragonfly Partnership is providing three such opportunities.

Pond Watch involves recording information about the arrival to, activity in, and departure from local ponds. Migration Monitoring helps collect data about the insects' migration behavior, and Stable Isotopes uses hydrogen isotopes to track them. For more information about the projects, click here.

Through citizen science like the MDP's projects, the next time someone stops to marvel at a dragonfly, it can become a key contribution to the scientific knowledge about these stunning insects.

Seek and Report

Fulfillment is doing what you love and having it make a contribution to the world.

For bird-watchers, doing what they love is pretty easy because birds usually aren't too far away. However, technology is even making it easier to find birds, and that same technology is providing birders with a chance to add to science by reporting their sightings.

BirdsEye is a bird-watching app for Android, iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad. It is the work of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and is dedicated to providing birders with resources that help them do what they love. Through the lab's eBird program, which collects information about bird sightings around the world, BirdsEye allows bird-watchers to find places where birds are congregating. Birders who want to share their sightings can purchase the BirdsEye companion app, BirdLog.

For more information on these apps click here and discover the potential of using and contributing to the science of bird-watching.

Bird of the World

Many birds are international, pretty much disregarding countries' borders, so it makes sense for bird-counting efforts to harness the power of the global community.

This year, the Great Backyard Bird Count and eBird are teaming up to do just that. As this announcement from the GBBC states, the count, which runs February 15-18, will contribute to the overall, worldwide findings for 2013.

Anyone can participate, and it's exciting that this year's event will connect the whole world. For more information, click here. Then, go out and make every bird count.

Know Your Bug

Identifying insects and arachnids may seem difficult or even uninteresting. In fact, it is often the case that the only time we want to know what these creatures are is when they cause trouble for us.

Still, insects and arachnids are a major part of our world, and they really are quite interesting. If you think about it, of all the wild things around us, they probably spend more time with us than any other. In fact, that fear other creatures have of us doesn't seem to influence them much. That's kind of a cool thing.

With that in mind, maybe we should take a little more time to get to know these prevalent companions. BugGuide is a Web site that helps identify bugs. The site includes a ready-to-use guide and also allows you to submit pictures if you can't ID the creature on your own. Once you upload the pictures, the online community helps determine what kind of crawly thing you have encountered.

Additionally, as you share photos, you contribute to citizen science by helping track encounters with insects and arachnids.

To visit BugGuide, click here.

Look What We Found

Technology certainly creates some challenges for the environment. It often leads to new machines and devices that use up and level nature, and spending too much time with technology can keep us from connecting with the natural world.

However, technology can also benefit the environment. In the past, I have blogged about using smart phones and Web sites to connect with and help nature.

Now, TreeHugger reports a very cool story involving technology and the environment. To summarize, a picture on Flickr led to the discovery of a new species of insect. That's really awesome.

TreeHugger talks about how the story shows the increasing value of technology in things like citizen science. (Another example is the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's eBird project making its 100 millionth observation.) I think the insect story also provides proof of the power of people connecting around environmental topics. That connection can be aided by technology.

This App's for the Birds

Birders who just can't wait to share their sightings now have a new app that allows them to make reports on the spot.

BirdLog, designed for both iPhone and Android, brings the citizen science of bird-watching into real time, or if your phone is not getting a reception, the app lets you store the information about your avian discoveries until you can send it.

Information sent through BirdLog goes to the Cornell Lab or Ornithology's eBird program. For more information about the app, click here.

This One Counts

Another opportunity for citizen science is coming up this week. The Great Backyard Bird Count runs February 17-20.

By enlisting the aid of the general public, the count helps scientists track bird populations and provides insight into the overall health of different bird species. Individuals can participate by watching birds for as little as 15 minutes during one of the days, or they can commit even more time if they like. Sharing the results online gives everyone an easy way to contribute and see what others are finding.

The count is organized by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the Audubon Society. For more information, click here.

Citizen Science Goes to the Beach

If you're a regular beach-going type of person with an interest in birds and a desire to contribute to science, you might want to check out the Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team (COASST).

The program enlists citizens to track the patterns of beached birds. Collected information builds our knowledge of ecosystems and their overall health.

Participants must undergo training, and a small deposit is needed to cover your copy of the field guide and other supplies.

Citizen science is really starting to build steam, and this particular option looks like a great way to make those trips to the beach even better.

Spread Those Wings

I've blogged before about BirdSleuth, which the Cornell Lab of Ornithology uses to provide teachers with curriculum for citizen science projects.

The program is continuing to expand. As this story describes, a classroom of students from Oregon and a classroom of students from Florida used BirdSleuth to conduct a peer-reviewed bird-watching project. Such collaborations are beginning to rise up across the country, and the goal is now to facilitate similar interactions on an international level.

Considering bird migrations don't pay much attention to state or international boundaries, this is a great way to track birds throughout their range and get children around the world engaged in science. It's also cool because the birds are helping bring people together.

If you are a teacher, this is an exciting time to consider getting involved with BirdSleuth.