MaryM
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Joined: Feb 11 2005
Location: Colorado
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 13104
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| Posted: March 02 2010 at 5:21pm | IP Logged
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I'm on a local mailing list for science educators. Today I got a great list of some great projects where people can participate in field activities related to "phenology" - Meaning" the timing of life cycle events in plants and animals" or "the scientific study of periodic biological phenomena, such as flowering, breeding, and migration, in relation to climatic conditions." Some projects are familiar here like the Great Backyard Bird watch and other bird watch ones. We participated in a local water monitoring activity this past fall. We have been planning to do theCoCoRaHS, Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network one but haven't ordered our rain gauge yet. But there are several I'm not familiar with that sounded great. Thought some of you might be interested as well.
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There have come to be a number of hands-on field activities in which individuals, families, or school groups can participate in which they collect, submit, and share data over the internet relating not only to phenology but other aspects of earth, atmospheric, environmental, and biologic science. Some of these are campaigns that take place at a particular time of the year; others are conducted year-round. Some require a fee, registration, and receipt of equipment; others just need a few minutes reading instructions on a website to take part. Here is a list of a number of such activities, with websites for more info on each. Some are ongoing now or soon will be, some run all year, and some will begin anew next year.
(1) Globe at Night 2010: March 3-16
"A fun family activity - even if you just look at the stars one night. And a way to promote scientific inquiry amongst students.
Less of Our Light for More Star Light:
Join the 5th worldwide Globe at Night 2010 campaign: March 3-16!
What: The Globe at Night Campaign
When: 8pm to 10pm local time, March 3-16, 2010
Where: Everywhere
Who: You! (Everyone!)
How: See http://www.globeatnight.org
Why: With half of the world's population now living in cities, many urban dwellers have never experienced the wonderment of pristinely dark skies and maybe never will. This loss, caused by light pollution, is a concern on many fronts: safety, energy conservation, cost, health and effects on wildlife, as well as our ability to view the stars. Even though light pollution is a serious and growing global concern, it is one of the easiest environmental problems you can address on local levels.
Globe at Night is an annual 2-week campaign in March that helps to address the light pollution issue locally as well as globally. This year the campaign is March 3-16, 2010. You are invited along with everyone all over the world to record the brightness of your night sky by matching its appearance toward the constellation Orion with star maps of progressively fainter stars found at http://www.globeatnight.org/observe_magnitude.html. You then submit your measurements on-line at http://www.globeatnight.org/report.html with your date, time and location. A few weeks later, organizers release a map of light-pollution levels worldwide. Over the last four 2-week Globe at Night campaigns, volunteers from over 100 nations have contributed 35,000 measurements.
To learn the five easy steps to participate in the Globe at Night program, see the Globe at Night website at http://www.globeatnight.org. You can listen to our 10-minute audio podcast on light pollution and Globe at Night at http://365daysofastronomy.org/2010/02/03/february-3rd-the-gl obe-at-night-campaign-our-light-or-starlight/
For activities that have children explore what light pollution is, what its effects are on wildlife and how to prepare for participating in the Globe at Night campaign, see the new activities at http://www.darkskiesawareness.org/DarkSkiesRangers.
Monitoring our environment will allow us as citizen-scientists to identify and preserve the dark sky oases in cities and locate areas where light pollution is increasing. All it takes is a few minutes during the March 2010 campaign to measure sky brightness and contribute those observations on-line. Help us exceed the 15,000 observations contributed last year. Your measurements will make a world of difference."
(2) Project BudBurst: springtime
Anyone can participate. Familiarize yourself with certain plants from a list of those growing in your geographic area, then observe and report dates you observe for first leafing or flowering of these plants.
(3) CoCoRaHS, Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network: all year
"CoCoRaHS is a unique, non-profit, community-based network of volunteers of all ages and backgrounds working together to measure and map precipitation (rain, hail and snow). By using low-cost measurement tools, stressing training and education, and utilizing an interactive Web-site, our aim is to provide the highest quality data for natural resource, education and research applications. We currently operate in many states across the country."
Participants must register and order a high-capacity (4" diameter) rain gauge, which they will read and submit data from at approximately 7 a.m. each day. The CoCoRaHS website is a great source for daily measurements of local rainfall and snowfall in each community within your state (Colorado is a participant) or around the country; anyone can log in and access the data.
(4) World Water Monitoring Day: Sep. 18, or other times
"World Water Monitoring Day™ is an international education and outreach program that builds public awareness and involvement in protecting water resources around the world by engaging citizens to conduct basic monitoring of their local water bodies. Celebrate with us on September 18, or host your World Water Monitoring Day anytime from March 22 until December 31!" Simple water test kits can be ordered from their website.
(5) The Great Worldwide Star Count: October
"Over 12,000 observations have been submitted during the 3 Star Count campaigns! Full results of the campaigns, including maps, are now available. More than 31,000 citizen scientists from 64 countries around the world have submitted their reports on the quality of their nighttime sky." Organized by UCAR (University Corporation for Atmospheric Research), Boulder, CO. Anyone can participate.
(6) Project FeederWatch: winter
“Project FeederWatch is a winter-long survey of birds that visit feeders at backyards, nature centers, community areas, and other locales in North America. FeederWatchers periodically count the birds they see at their feeders from November through early April and send their counts to Project FeederWatch. FeederWatch data help scientists track broadscale movements of winter bird populations and long-term trends in bird distribution and abundance. Project FeederWatch is operated by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Bird Studies Canada. Anyone with an interest in birds can participate! FeederWatch is conducted by people of all skill levels and backgrounds, including children, families, individuals, classrooms, retired persons, youth groups, nature centers, and bird clubs. There is a $15 annual participation fee which covers materials, staff support, web design, data analysis, and a year-end report (Winter Bird Highlights). Participants receive a Research Kit, which contains instructions, a bird identification poster, a wall calendar, a resource guide to bird feeding, and a tally sheet—everything you need to start counting your birds."
(7) Audubon Society Christmas Bird Count: Dec. 14-Jan. 5 annually
Conducted by local Audubon Society groups. "The Christmas Bird Count season is December 14 through January 5 each year. Your local count will occur on one day between those inclusive dates. There is a specific methodology to the CBC, but everyone can participate. The count takes place within "Count Circles," which focus on specific geographical areas. Each circle is led by a Count Compiler. Therefore, if you are a beginning birder, you will be able to join a group that includes at least one experienced birdwatcher. In addition, if your home is within the boundaries of a Count Circle, then you can stay home and report the birds that visit your feeder or join a group of birdwatchers in the field. In either case, if you have never been on a CBC before your first step is to locate and contact your local Count Compiler to find out how you can volunteer."
(8) Great Backyard Bird Count: Feb. 18-21 2011
"The Great Backyard Bird Count is an annual four-day event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of where the birds are across the continent. Anyone can participate, from beginning bird watchers to experts. It takes as little as 15 minutes on one day, or you can count for as long as you like each day of the event. It’s free, fun, and easy—and it helps the birds."
Happy nature-observing to all! |
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Mary M. in Denver
Our Domestic Church
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4Real Forums : Exploring God's Creation in Nature and Science
Topic: Great nature-monitoring activities
