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NOAA has Citizen Science projects [1]

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Date: 2023-01-15

I’ve written previously about the Cornell University ornithology lab’s programs, Project FeederWatch and Project Nest Watch. They have some others, too, all bird-centric. But what if you aren’t “into” birds? What if your opportunities are limited by where you live? What if you have physical limitations? Let’s check out what NOAA has for us!

Some of the programs are pretty limited. I’m in Kansas. I’m not going to count herring, monitor marine debris (this has materials for educators), or count whales. But. . . Maybe you can!

At one time I did a lot of hiking around the western states and Canada. I wish they’d had the mPING program then. It’s an app you download, then report ground-level weather conditions. You don’t have to travel to do this, though. This data goes to the University of Oklahoma and is immediately available on maps anyone can access. The National Weather Service uses your information to fine-tune forecasts, and it’s used in developing weather radar systems.

Check out the GPS on Bench Marks. If you are near one of the benchmarks listed, you can use your smart phone to collect a more accurate GPS for that location.

Can’t get out and do any of that? There’s a program for you, too. The Old Weather project has you transcribing old 19th and early 20th century ship logs. This is important for weather/climate change and sea ice studies, but it also means recording historical data and the ships’ paths. This is a fun one. Those logs were filed more than a century ago, maybe two centuries, and not looked at since. Who knows what you’ll find there?

The heading on the NOAA page suggests it’s for educators, but most are for anyone, and at least the Old Weather project is more practical for older students or adults. There’s a lot of decoding in transcribing old handwriting, and you’ll need a good vocabulary.

I’d love to know if any of these sound do-able to you. While you’re here, check out the Community Needs List and see if there’s a person or two you can help today. And take another cookie.

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/1/15/2135604/-NOAA-has-Citizen-Science-projects

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