Citizen Science projects utilize trained volunteers to collect scientific information that would otherwise be unavailable due to lack of personnel or funding.

For the citizen scientists, the reward is a sense of stewardship and a greater understanding and awareness of the park’s resource issues. For the park, it provides a wealth of data which can be used to increase our understanding of the our natural resources, offering an opportunity to get much-needed baseline information about these important species.

The Crown of the Continent Research Learning Center is currently facilitating three Citizen Science Projects:

Common Loon Monitoring 
Involves extensive surveys of Glacier National Park's hundreds of lakes to document presence of Common Loons and observations of breeding and nesting behaviors.

High Country
Involves extensive back-country surveys to collect data on the number and distribution of three species of concern for Glacier National Park: mountain goats, pikas, and Clark's Nutcrackers.

Invasive Weeds
Involves mapping surveys of Glacier National Park's 700+ miles of hiking trails to determine the distribution and extent of noxious weeds invading the park.

More information regarding the CCRLC Citizen Science projects can be found in our newsletters, available on the Research Publications and Media page.

If you are interested in becoming a Citizen Scientist at Glacier National Park, please contact the CCRLC.