Citizen Science At Herbert Hoover National Historic Site

Entomologists Sadie Todd, of Iowa Department of Agriculture, and Steve Hendrix, of University of Iowa, helped park staff and volunteers identify bee species in the prairie in 2018

NPS Photo by Jessica Salesman

Citizen scientists— volunteers of varying expertise who help research natural resources— contribute to the body of scientific knowledge collected from Herbert Hoover National Historic Site. In recent years:

• Volunteer birders from the Iowa City Bird Club surveyed breeding bird species. Their findings supplemented periodic monitoring surveys by NPS biologist. Their work helped confirm the presence of Henslow's sparrow, an important grassland bird, in the prairie.
• Volunteers sampled stream water in Hoover Creek for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Their work helped the NPS and the State of Iowa monitor trends in water quality.
• Volunteers collected live specimens of bees from the prairie for scientists to identify. The identifications will help the NPS get a better idea of the variety of pollinating species in the prairie.