Citizen Science Month

April marks the arrival of Citizen Science Month,

a coordinated effort to promote opportunities to participate in citizen science across the globe. Citizen science, also known as community science, is defined as “the collection and analysis of data relating to the natural world by members of the general public, typically as part of a collaborative project with professional scientists.”

A way to engage locally with Citizen Science Month is to get involved with the Snapshot Wisconsin project. Snapshot Wisconsin enrolls volunteers to deploy and maintain trail cameras, and also offers the opportunity for anyone to view the photos and help identify the wildlife being captured across Wisconsin. Data collected through the Snapshot Wisconsin project helps inform wildlife management decisions at the Wisconsin DNR and provides a unique learning opportunity for volunteers across the state. The project also offers a series of resources to help educators bring Snapshot Wisconsin into their classrooms.

You can learn more about the Snapshot Wisconsin project, apply to host a trail camera, or check out exciting wildlife photos with your students at https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/research/projects/snapshot. Can’t get enough of Citizen Science Month? Explore other projects featured for Citizen Science Month at https://scistarter.org/citizensciencemonth.