Citizen Science Expeditions

Citizen science is when everyday people help real scientists with their work. You do not need to be a scientist to join in. People of all ages can count birds, watch the stars, or collect water samples. It is a fun way to explore nature and help make discoveries.

How It Works

Scientists sometimes need help collecting a lot of data. They ask volunteers to watch for certain birds, plants, or weather events. Volunteers write down what they see and share it online. Scientists then use all that information to learn new things. Even kids can take part in citizen science projects.

Famous Citizen Science Projects

The Christmas Bird Count is one of the oldest citizen science projects. Every year, thousands of people count birds across North America. Another project called Globe Observer lets people report clouds and land cover using a phone app. These projects have helped scientists track changes in nature for many years.

Fun Facts

• The Christmas Bird Count has been going on for more than 120 years.
• Citizen scientists have helped discover new species of insects and plants.
• Over a million people around the world take part in citizen science each year.

Did You Know?

A group of citizen scientists once found a brand new planet by looking at data from a NASA telescope.