Fancy a new hobby that’s fun, meaningful and educational? Or just want to do something that gives back to society? Then citizen science could be for you!
British Science Week commences on March 8th – 17th. It’s a 10 day celebration of all things STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths), with events happening right across the country. So what better time than now to try something new and contribute to real scientific research?
What is a citizen scientist?
Citizen science is the collection and or analysis of data by members of the general public in collaboration with professional scientists. There’s all sort of projects that a citizen scientist could get involved in. As a citizen scientist, you could find yourself collecting samples, observing animals, taking part in experiments, transcribing raw data and more! You don’t even have to leave your house to become a citizen scientist if you don’t want to, as there are even opportunities to help online too!
Citizen science is important because an increasing number of scientific studies now rely on contributions from ordinary people to help them answer their questions. Citizen science can allow for vast amounts of data, from many locations that the professional scientists themselves simply wouldn’t be able to record themselves. Science relies on observations and the sharing of information in order to gain a better understanding of our world. Furthering our understanding is incredibly important in furthering society, and gathering information is something that a citizen scientist can do.
Don’t worry, you don’t need any qualifications or experience to help out – all you need is the time and the passion to do it! I always believe that Science isn’t something restricted to the professional scientists, science is and always should be for the benefit of everyone in society. And through citizen science projects, everyone in society can get involved.
Where do I start?
There are many websites online that showcase opportunities to get involved in science related projects and events.
Firstly, Zooniverse is a fantastic website that collates various citizen science opportunities worldwide! There are currently 88 active projects to get involved with, in disciplines ranging from not only science, but language to literature, medicine to history, nature to arts and more!
Another super useful website is Science Live. Here, you can find out about the STEM themed events happening near you. Science Live say ‘they want to help more people throughout the UK to put on and discover events – leading to many more people engaging with, understanding and enjoying science’. Sounds good to me!
A few examples of projects in the UK that you can help out with include:
- Project Plumage – An online project where you can help to mark up photographs taken of the colourful bird specimens from the Natural History Museum.
- Big Seaweed Search – This fun project needs help with identifying and recording seaweeds in the UK. Just download the free PDF instructions and ID guide and head off to the sea side! Who doesn’t love a bit of rock-pooling?!
- UK Whale and Dolphin Strandings – If you’re ever taking a stroll along the coastline and spot a stranded cetacean (Whale, dolphin or porpoise), seal, shark or marine turtle, you can help by reporting it. By collecting info such as size, location and photographs you can help a team of scientists to uncover the reason why the animals have stranded.
- London Bird Records . In this project you can help to transcribe and recover data from 20th century bird observations collected by the London Natural History Society.
Other organisations in the UK that may have opportunities for citizen science in the future include:
- Seaquest Southwest (Marine mammal watching in Cornwall)
- Butterfly Conservation’s Big Butterfly Count (Happening nationwide in July 2019)
- BioBlitz (Happening at various times and locations across the UK. BioBlitz volunteers aim to discover and record as much wildlife as possible in a certain time)
- RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch (Closed for 2019, but there’s always next year!)
Don’t forget it’s also British Science Week, so you can find event’s and follow the action by using the hashtag #BSW19 on Twitter and Facebook!
As you can see there are tons of ways in which you can get involved in science. Not only is it an easy way to contribute to scientific research, but it’s also super fun, and an excellent excuse to get outdoors and explore. Anyone can become a citizen scientist!
