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Nature Up North: Citizen Science Projects [F-14-42]

Through this course you will learn how to participate in our Nature Up North’s “Monitor My Maple” citizen science project (such projects are also referred to as “public participation in scientific research”). Citizen science projects provide volunteer “scientists” with scientific questions to help them collect data constituting meaningful research, important to local and global communities. Citizen science can benefit participants, scientists, educators, and resource managers by developing partnerships to further our understanding of the places in which we live. Nature Up North is particularly interested in phenology, also known as the seasonal timing of natural events. Phenology touches everything, from birds migrating, to trees leafing out, to farmers deciding when to plant. By participating in the “Monitor My Maple” project, you will contribute to a long-term data set examining how factors like climate change affect sugar maple health in the North Country.

Jacob Malcomb manages the Nature Up North project at SLU. He is interested in issues at the intersection of human and ecosystem health. He has conducted research studying forest health in Colorado, the ecology of Lyme disease in the Northeastern US, and the impacts of climate change on tropical forests in Panama. Jacob has a B.S. in Biology from SLU and is a Certified Interpretive Guide.

NOTE: We will be going outside for some of the time to look at trees: please wear appropriate outside clothing and shoes to each session.

Cap: 24

LINK:

• http://natureupnorth.org - a project of St. Lawrence University. Citizen science - right here in northern New York