It’s hard to get accurate measurements, but a nationwide network of more than 8,000 volunteers with rulers and specific standards reports after every storm.
The RiverDip experiment is one of many citizen science projects out there.
Natallia Boroda/Shutterstock
Contributions from citizen scientists who look for orchids are incredibly valuable in orchid research because they cover much more ground than a handful of experts.
Armed with smartphones, keen eyes and curiosity, students are learning to provide vital observations that add to our knowledge of the distribution of plant and animal species and how to conserve them.
Some places rarely see the sun.
Donat Photography / EyeEm
If we all collect and understand scientific data as citizens, we’ll be a step closer to a society able to make better collaborative decisions.
The eruption of Krakatoa in 1883 sent volcanic dust and gases circling the Earth, creating spectacular sunsets captured by artists.
William Ashcroft via Houghton Library/Harvard University
It’s typically rare to see a dead frog. Yet, we’ve received a flurry of emails from people coming across them in this truly unusual, and tragic, mass death event.
Urban green spaces are essential for the well-being of both human and and non-human residents of a city.
The term “citizen science” is intended to widen the network of people whose contribution to science is acknowledged. But the word “citizen” can be problematic.
We analysed the dust in 32 homes across Sydney, and found significant levels of microplastics. But having hard, non-varnished floors and vacuuming at least weekly might help.
The environmental, cultural and scientific sensitivity of some sites, and rarity of some fossils, means amateur fossil collecting comes with huge risks.
Community scientists have been photographing animals and plants in the months after the Black Summer fires. Each observation is a story of survival against the odds, or of tragedy.