Will Kuhn/Discover Life In America Have you ever wondered how you can help park rangers learn more about the biodiversity in our national parks? Well, you're not alone. Researchers and scientists that work with the National Park Service (NPS) ask similar research questions, and they need your help. You can help your national park by becoming a citizen scientist. Citizen scientists are volunteers that assist the parks with data collection, research questions, and solving problems. Most importantly, citizen scientists have a chance to be immersed in hands-on activities to make a difference in their favorite national parks. The Appalachian Highlands Science Learning Center (AHSLC) is full of citizen science opportunities. From helping Great Smoky Mountains National Park with their annual spring wildflower pilgrimage, to assisting the resource management team as a Parkway scientist by collecting images from remote cameras, to researching wildlife along the Parkway, there are many ways you can get involved in one of AHSLC's many citizen scientist opportunities. 
Will Kuhn/Discover Life in America The Great Debate: Citizen Science VS Community ScienceSo, what is the difference between citizen science and community science? Many people have asked this question. Volunteers have been working with scientist to perform research since the late 1800s to early 1900s. Although the practice of citizen science started decades ago, the official term citizen science is recent. Citizen science formally refers to scientific professionals and institutions supported by volunteers seeking answers to some of science’s most important questions.Community science is when groups of individuals seek assistance from subject matter experts to answer scientific questions that will impact their communities. Although the term citizen science is world-renowned, it does not refer only to "legal citizens" in this country assisting with science. The term is used by the National Park Service (NPS) because the 15 U.S. Code Section 3724 - Crowdsourcing and citizen science law. This law enables the NPS to conduct citizen science within parks. In short, it does not matter where each term is used, whether at a park or in your backyard, because the NPS strives to make citizen science an inclusive activity for every visitor. On Your Mark, Get Ready, Science!While you're on your way to visiting every NPS site in the country, take the time to participate in one of these awesome citizen science projects!NPS Citizen ScienceHelp us learn more about our National Parks through these amazing citizen science projects! |
Last updated: May 9, 2023