Report early signs of spring

How are native trees and flowers responding to environmental changes, like global warming, the loss of species, or the decline in native pollinators? That is the question Project BudBurst and related citizen science projects seek to answer -- with your help.

Participants in Project BudBurst monitor the phenological events associated with native plants, like the date when the Pacific trillium blooms, the black locust leafs-out, or the woods strawberry fruits.

Phenology is the study of the seasonal timing of plant and animal life-cycle events such as bird, fish, and mammal migration; emergence from hibernation; and the leafing, blooming, and fruiting of plants. Global warming is causing a resurgence in interest in phenology, as the springs arrive earlier, winters shorten, and fears grow that some wildlife adapted to live in concert with one another in local ecosystems get out of sync (think bees pollinating flowers or migratory birds feasting on spring bugs).

By harnessing the observational reach of citizen scientists, Project BudBurst is able to gather infinitely more data than any individual scientist could about how the climate is affecting local environments. With spring setting in across parts of the U.S., now's the time to get involved!

What is citizen science?

Citizen science projects ask countless individuals to contribute their observations of a particular thing -- birds, frogs, flowers, even road kill -- to a central database, which trained scientists analyze. It infinitely extends the observational powers of trained scientists, allowing them to ask -- and answer -- questions about long-term and widespread changes in the environment that otherwise would be impossible to contemplate. Because climate change will have such widespread effects, citizen science is one of the best ways to document it.

Citizen science started in 1900, with a brainstorm by bird-lover Frank Chapman. Before Chapman came along, there was no such thing as "citizen science," and the way most enthusiasts interacted with birds they liked to look at was to shoot them dead. But on Christmas Day in 1900, Chapman, an officer in the then-young Audubon Society, decided to organize his fellows for a bird count instead of a traditional hunt.

He didn't know it then, but citizen science was born. Today, the Christmas Bird Count and related citizen science programs have documented important trends in birds -- trends that would have been impossible to recognize were it not for the data individuals have gathered and reported for more than a century across a wide geographic range.

Becoming a citizen scientist takes no time or training, and it is a chance to connect with nature in a real, meaningful -- and often fun -- way.

To get involved this spring, check out Project BudBurst or 22 other fun citizen science projects.


Related links from The Daily Green:

• Amazing Wildlife Photos
• 8 Volunteer Vacations
• What's Your Green Personality? Take the Quiz
• 23 Ways to Give Without Giving "Stuff"
• 25 Ways You Can Help Backyard Birds