Citizen Science

Citizen scientists learn how to conduct a mountain goat survey during a High Country Citizen Science training.

NPS/Renata Harrison

The Glacier National Park Citizen Science Program engages park visitors, students, and staff in collection of scientific information that would otherwise be unavailable to resource managers and researchers. Since 2005, the Citizen Science Program has invited members of the public to assist in biological research while recreating in the park. The program is coordinated by the Crown of the Continent Research Learning Center (CCRLC), based in Glacier, and made possible by the generous support of the Glacier National Park Conservancy.

For citizen scientists, the rewards are a sense of stewardship, a greater awareness of the park's resource issues, and an expanded insight in ecological research methods. For the park, citizen science provides a wealth of baseline data that increases our understanding of priority wildlife and plant species. It also enables us to begin addressing the growing list of research and monitoring needs in spite of personnel and funding constraints.

If you are interested in becoming a citizen scientist at Glacier National Park, please complete this form.

Note that our program has a capacity. Once you have completed the form, the Citizen Science team will reach out with more information as new volunteer opportunities for the season are assessed. If you reach out during the off season (Fall-Winter) it is unlikely you will receive a formal response until April or May of the following year.

Learn more about each of our citizen science projects by visiting the links and FAQs below or visit our education highlights and research highlights pages for in-depth articles on citizen science projects.

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  Loon Citizen Science

  Help monitor Glacier's common loon population.

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  High Country Citizen Science

  Gather data on mountain goats, bighorn sheep, and pikas.

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  Youth Exploring Science

  Learn more about our youth citizen science program.

Citizen Science FAQs

What does it take to be involved in Glacier National Park's Citizen Science Program?

• Time to attend a full-day training for the project of your choice/ interest. These trainings are typically hosted on scheduled weekday dates in May or June and run all day (8 am to 5 pm). Training schedules are announced in April. They include a classroom portion and a field portion. During training you will learn the basic structure of our program, ecology relevant for the project, and data collection methods.

• Ability to travel to and from the park on a semi-regular basis to conduct surveys at various sites throughout the park. A small number of sites are accessible by road, but most require at least a three-mile (or up to a 12 mile) hike. The field season runs from May to September. You will need to complete a minimum of three surveys over the course of the season to be a part of our Citizen Science program. Surveys typically take a full day with driving and hiking time. Visiting for an extended period is also an option for participating if you are willing to survey at a higher frequency during your time at the park.

• Attentiveness to detail and willingness to learn how to follow outlined data collection procedures and how to input data within a mobile data collection app.

What does it mean to be a Citizen Scientist?

• Complete 3 practice surveys to prove your data quality.

• Communicate survey location preferences with Citizen Science team and get out in the park to survey in the areas where surveys are most needed!!

• Submit your data electronically and communicate with Citizen Science team if there are any additional questions after we review it.

• At the end of the season, you will receive a copy of our Final Report which includes the summary of all the work done for the year.

What projects do you have?

• Common Loon Citizen Science Project- Field surveys are conducted by citizen scientists at 45 priority lakes in Glacier National Park to document population size and reproductive success of common loons.

• High Country Citizen Science Project- Citizen scientists participate in backcountry surveys to collect data on the number and distribution of mountain goats and pikas, two species of concern found in Glacier's high country.

• Hawk Watch Citizen Science Project- Participants learn how to identify, count, and record data on migrating raptors (eagles, hawks, and falcons) that make their way through Glacier National Park each fall on their way south to warmer climates.

When is our field season?

• Common Loon Citizen Science Project- May to August

• High Country Citizen Science Project- June to September (often dependent on weather for many sites)

• Hawk Watch Citizen Science Project- September to November

How can I get involved?

• Fill out this form.

• If there are openings in the program, we will contact you at the email provided with further information.

• Please note if you reach out in the middle of the summer field season it is unlikely that there will be many opportunities available- but we can include your information on our interest list for the next season.

What opportunities are there for kids?

• Children can attend training sessions and volunteer alongside their parent/ guardian during Citizen Science projects but must be accompanied by an adult while in the park.