Become a Museum Citizen Scientist
Museum researchers need your help! We offer a wide variety of citizen science projects developed by our staff that welcome your participation as a citizen scientist. Document dragonflies, identify monkey blood cell types, or classify galaxies by browsing the list of Museum-based projects on our Current Projects page.
Citizen Science Adventures
Citizen Science Adventures is a series of online videos and discussions intended to introduce you to a citizen science project and help you participate on your own from home. Visit the Prairie Ridge Facebook page on Mondays for a new video that teaches you how to participate, then try the project out for yourself. Return on Friday afternoon to discuss what you observed and learned and gets answers to your questions in our live discussion. Note that you are welcome to view the videos and participate in the projects at any point outside of the times posted below.
We currently have the following Adventures available:
LOST LADYBUG PROJECT
Monday, April 20, 2020 – Video Release
Join Chris Goforth to learn about ladybugs! The video covers how to collect and submit your data, how to find and photograph ladybugs, and how to identify the common species of North Carolina.
Friday, April 24, 2020, 2:30-3:30PM – Live Discussion
Bring your ladybug photos, stories, and questions about the project to our live chat! Leslie Allee of the Lost Ladybug Project will join Chris Goforth (Citizen Science) and Bonnie Eamick (Prairie Ridge) for a lively discussion about ladybugs and citizen science. Register to get the online meeting link.
Important Links
- Lost Ladybug Project: Learn more on the project homepage
- Common Ladybugs of North Carolina: The identification guide reference in the video, available to download or print for use during your observations
EBIRD
Monday, April 13, 2020 – Video Release
Join Melissa Dowland to learn about birding for science! The video walks you through how to make bird observations, identify the birds you see using the Merlin Bird ID app, and enter and submit your data to eBird.
Friday, April 24, 2020, 2:30-3:30PM – Live Discussion
Let’s talk birds! Join the Museum’s Melissa Dowland (Teacher Education), Brian O’Shea (Ornithology), and Chris Goforth (Citizen Science) to share your birding stories and get answers to all of your bird, eBird, and citizen science questions.
Important Links
- eBird: Learn more on the project homepage
- eBird Smartphone App: Submit your data from your phone with this free app, available for Apple and Android
- Merlin Bird ID: This free smartphone app for Apple and Android is a great tool for identifying birds you see
- Quick Guide to eBird: This guide will walk you through how to use the eBird smartphone app or website to submit your bird data
Project Squirrel
Monday, April 6, 2020 – Video Release
Join Chris Goforth to learn about how to document your neighborhood squirrels for Project Squirrel! The video covers how to collect and submit your data and how to tell Eastern Gray and Fox Squirrels apart. It also includes some cute squirrel footage!
Thursday, April 9, 2020, 2:30-3:30PM – Live Discussion
Bring your squirrel photos, squirrel stories, and questions about the project to the Prairie Ridge Facebook page! Chris will be available to respond immediately to comments, live chat style.
Important Links
- Project Squirrel Homepage: Learn more on the project homepage
- Gray vs. Fox Squirrels: Information about how to tell the two species apart
- Project Squirrel Data Sheet: The datasheet shared in the video, available to download and print for use during your observations
Globe Observer Clouds
Monday, March 30, 2020 – Video Release
Chris Goforth is back with a new project – and this one has you looking upward to report the clouds you see to NASA! Watch the video to discover how NASA uses the data to train their satellites, some tips for identifying the different types of clouds, and learn how to use the Globe Observer app to submit your Clouds data.
Friday, April 3, 2020, 3:00PM – Live Discussion
Online location will be announced on the Prairie Ridge Facebook page on Friday morning.
Important Links
- Globe Observer Clouds Homepage: Learn more on the project homepage
- Globe Observer App Information: Get the smartphone app so you can participate
- Cloud Identification Chart: Printable cloud identification resource
Nature's Notebook
Monday, March 23, 2020 - Video Release
Join our Head of Citizen Science, Chris Goforth, to learn how to document signs of spring as a citizen scientist for Nature’s Notebook. She’ll share a video on the Museum’s Facebook page that will introduce the project, demonstrate how to collect data for a native tree species, and walk you through how to enter the data with the free Nature’s Notebook smartphone app. Come back here for valuable resources and links that will help make your first Nature’s Notebook observation a success!
Friday, March 27, 2020, 3:30PM – Nature’s Notebook Live Discussion
Online location will be announced on the Prairie Ridge Facebook page on Friday morning.
Important Links
- Nature’s Notebook website
- Nature’s Notebook Plant and Animal species list – you must choose a species from the list to participate
Tree Identification Resources
- Ask a Naturalist – Ask the staff at the Museum’s Naturalist Center for tree identification help
- iNaturalist – This free app has built-in image reconigtion software to help you figure out our tree’s species
- Plants by Field Guide – A free app that will identify your trees from a photo, available for Apple and Android.
Upcoming Adventures:
- April 13: eBird
- April 20: Lost Ladybug
- April 27: e-Butterfly