(Photo by Robert Barossi)
by Robert Barossi
Another two-story post this morning. Not sure why, but these kinds of stories are everywhere today: citizen science stories. As one of these articles mentions, volunteers are doing the work that professional scientists just aren’t able to. That is, there just aren’t enough scientists in enough places with enough time and money to collect all of this vital data. As this story out of Iowa points out, it’s citizen scientists who are out there, across that state, collecting data on numerous species. The Department of Natural Resources in Iowa is planning to start training more volunteers to be wildlife monitors because the need is so great. One thousand miles to the East, in Delaware, citizen scientists are being trained for similar programs across that state. This article refers to these volunteers as the “backbone” of programs which gather essential data on many species. That state’s Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control is also seeking more volunteers, needed to monitor species ranging from the horseshoe crab to the osprey, and many in between.
If you’ve enjoyed any of the stories on this blog, check out my eBook, Being Where You Are: How Environmental Volunteers Impact Their Community and the Planet Every Day
Being Where You Are 
My favorite citizen animal volunteer opportunity comes up soon in the Spring. See an old article: http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2011/05/08/in_pepperell_volunteers_make_sure_salamanders_get_safe_passage/
That’s a fantastic story. Thanks for the link! I did a lot of work regarding salamanders during my graduate school days, they are not appreciated nearly enough for their role in an ecosystem.