You are viewing ARCHIVED content published online before January 20, 2025.
Please note that this content is NOT UPDATED, and links may not work. For current information,
visit https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/news/index.htm.
Contact: Norma Sosa, 406-888-7895 Contact: Jami Belt, 406-888-7986
WEST GLACIER, MONT. – Glacier National Park announces the expansion of their Citizen Science Program. This program actively engages volunteers to assist biological research in Glacier. Are you interested in helping out with wildlife and plant research in Glacier National Park? Since 2005, over a hundred ardent volunteers have signed up and given their personal time and effort while providing important information to the Citizen Science for Monitoring Common Loons project within Glacier NP. With this success, the Citizen Science Program in Glacier is expanding this year by adding two new projects: 1) High Country Citizen Science: Monitoring Mountain Goats, Clark’s Nutcrackers, and Pikas and 2) Citizen Science: Mapping Non-native Invasive Plants. Volunteers may choose to participate in one, two, or all three of these projects. For each of these projects, volunteers will be trained on species identification and on how to observe and what to note about each species. They will also learn about the distribution and the life history of each species in Glacier and the management concerns within the park. The data they help to gather will provide critical baseline information for comparing to future monitoring, and it will assist current and future research. All volunteers are welcome. Binoculars are essential for wildlife surveying. Some equipment may be available for use during surveys. Training may include how to use GPS units. Trail distance and difficulty varies, according to the interests of the volunteers. If you like the challenge of hiking the trails in one of our great national parks and would like to be involved with research in the park while out on your hikes, contact the Crown of the Continent Research Learning Center and sign up! Call (406) 888-7986 for more information or to register for a training session. Citizen Science: Monitoring Common Loons in GNP Citizen Science in Glacier’s High Country: Monitoring Mountain Goats, Clark’s Nutcrackers, and Pikas. Citizen Science: Monitoring Non-native Invasive Plants. Citizen Science has become the mainstay of many organizations where data is needed but money and personnel are insufficient. Volunteers dedicated to ongoing research, whether at sea or on land, in grasslands or mountains, devote their time and energy to gather observations where extra eyes, ears, and hands are needed. This assistance has filled a big gap in the backlog of research needs. Within Glacier, the program is organized by the Crown of the Continent Research Learning Center, within the Division of Science and Resources Management. National Park Service Research Learning Centers are dedicated to assisting researchers and to bringing research information to park managers and to the public. |
Last updated: February 24, 2015