What is community science?
Community science is a collaborative approach to answering scientific questions that engages local communities to participate! Community science programs recruit volunteers to get involved with collecting, analyzing, or interpreting data. It’s an opportunity to get involved in adding to the greater body of knowledge of the world around us. Community science is sometimes called “citizen science,” but citizenship is not a requirement. You are welcome and encouraged to participate in real science projects across different disciplines, no matter your identity or background. It's meant to bring together like-minded people who share common geography, interests, or goals - though there are so many projects that can be accomplished by anyone, from anywhere. |
If you’re new to community science and would like to find projects in need of participants, start with SciStarter: this is a great catalog of projects where you can find those that fit your interests and abilities. My favorites to contribute to are iNaturalist, CalFlora, and eBird, though there are plenty more to choose from, especially smaller-scale or local initiatives.
iNaturalist is a community science platform that collects biodiversity data points from around the globe. Observations on iNaturalist that have a specified location, date, time, photographic evidence, and multiple species-level identifications from the community are considered "Research Grade" and are added to other biodiversity databases like GBIF and CalFlora. iNaturalist has even led to discovering new species - and tools like this rely on community-sourced observations.
I guest-hosted three webinars on iNaturalist Basics with the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden. They can be accessed here:
For a more formal introduction to participatory science, I recommend the California Naturalist courses offered through many partner organizations across the state. They also offer a climate stewardship course, more information on both here! I received my California Naturalist certification in 2019, and it provided a great introduction to community science and California natural history.
iNaturalist is a community science platform that collects biodiversity data points from around the globe. Observations on iNaturalist that have a specified location, date, time, photographic evidence, and multiple species-level identifications from the community are considered "Research Grade" and are added to other biodiversity databases like GBIF and CalFlora. iNaturalist has even led to discovering new species - and tools like this rely on community-sourced observations.
I guest-hosted three webinars on iNaturalist Basics with the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden. They can be accessed here:
- City Nature Challenge Pro Tips
- "Naturing at Home" iNaturalist Project Overview
- UC Davis Arboretum's "Naturing at Home" Project Analysis
For a more formal introduction to participatory science, I recommend the California Naturalist courses offered through many partner organizations across the state. They also offer a climate stewardship course, more information on both here! I received my California Naturalist certification in 2019, and it provided a great introduction to community science and California natural history.