Life Sciences

Monarch Larva Monitoring Project

Project Goal:

Understand how monarch butterfly populations vary in time and by location.

Your Role:

Find a milkweed patch and either commit to monitor on a regular basis throughout a season or submit occassional instances of monarch larva that you find.

Website:

Website Main Page

Dr. Eleanor's Book of Common Ants

"Dr. Eleanor is an entomologist with a knack for telling good stories, especially about the secret lives of her favorite insects: the ANTS! In this new guide to the common ants of North America, Dr. Eleanor delights readers young and old with tales of our tiny insect neighbors. Her stories of the heroes and villains that tiptoe around us are brought to life in this interactive new eBook by the vibrant photographs of Alex Wild."

Project Goal:

Explore the ecosystems that exist right under our noses, homes and neighborhoods.

Your Role:

Check out the listing of different projects and join one or more effort or try one of the teaching modules.

Website:

Website Main Page

Camel Crickets

Project Goal:

Discover distribution of each species of camel cricket that can be found in North America

Your Role:

Photograph and gather some data about any camel cricket you find. Then upload it to the website.

Website:

Project website

iNaturalist

Project Goal:

Gather user's records of plants, animals and fungi that they've observed while interacting with nature.

Your Role:

While outside enjoying the natural world, record observations of plants, animals and fungi that you see, photograph them, identify them and upload your data to the website. Also, checkout the guides and others' work.

Website:

Website Main Page

School of Ants

Project Goal:

Make detailed maps of the wildlife that lives just outside our doorstep.

Your Role:

Make an ant sampling kit, record data, submit data online and send in your specimens

Website:

Website Main Page

Macrosystems Research

Project Goal:

Build a continental network of study sites and naturalists to collect high quality data and imagery of a location during a hike during the day and at night.

Your Role:

Review the protocols, select a location to do a 2-hour nature hike, followed by 2-hours of mothing at night. Record and submit your data.

Website:

Website Main Page

The Goldenrod Challenge

Project Goal:

Understand factors impacting species interactions, geographic distributions and changes in abundances from season to season.

Your Role:

Photograph goldenrod plants and any associated species on the plant. Try to identify the species in the photos and submit your results to the website.

Website:

Website Main Page