Handbook of Citizen Science in Ecology and Conservation

Handbook of Citizen Science in Ecology and Conservation is the first practical and comprehensive manual for creating, implementing, or improving natural science research and monitoring projects that involve collaboration between scientists and the general public. As citizen science projects become increasingly common, project leaders are seeking information on concrete best practices for planning and implementing projects—practices that allow them to guide and gauge success while also ensuring the collection of high-quality data and rewarding experiences for volunteers. In this handbook, citizen science practitioners from around the world and with decades of experience provide step-by-step instructions, insights, and advice, and they explore real-world applications through case studies from a variety of citizen science projects. This is the definitive reference guide for anyone interested in starting or improving a citizen science project with ecological or conservation applications, from professors and graduate students to agency staff and nongovernmental organizations.

 

Christopher A. Lepczyk is Professor in the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences at Auburn University.
 
Owen D. Boyle is Chief of Species Management for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Natural Heritage Conservation Program.
 
Timothy L. V. Vargo is Manager of Research and Community Science at the Urban Ecology Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 

List of Contributors
Foreword
Reed F. Noss

Preface

Introduction
Christopher A. Lepczyk, Owen D. Boyle, and Timothy L. V. Vargo

PART I Background

1 What Is Citizen Science?
Jennifer L. Shirk and Rick Bonney
2 The History of Citizen Science in Ecology and Conservation
Abraham J. Miller-Rushing, Richard B. Primack, Rick Bonney, and Emma Albee
3 Current Approaches to Citizen Science
Finn Danielsen, Teis Adrian, Per Moestrup Jensen, Jesus Muñoz, Jennifer
L. Shirk, and Neil D. Burgess

PART II Planning and Implementation of Citizen Science Projects

4 Project Planning and Design
John C. Tweddle, Helen E. Roy, Lucy D. Robinson, and Michael J. O. Pocock
5 Legal, Ethical, and Policy Considerations
Anne Bowser, Andrea Wiggins, and Elizabeth Tyson
6 Recruitment and Building the Team
Michelle D. Prysby
7 Retaining Citizen Scientists
Rachel Goad, Susanne Masi, and Pati Vitt
8 Training 99
Heidi L. Ballard and Emily M. Harris
9 Collecting High-Quality Data
Alycia W. Crall, David Mellor, Steven Gray, and Gregory Newman
10 Data Management and Visualization
Gregory Newman, Sarah Newman, Russell Scarpino, Nicole Kaplan, Alycia W. Crall,
and Stacy Lynn
11 Reporting Citizen Science Findings
Eva J. Lewandowski and Karen Oberhauser
12 Program Evaluation
Rebecca Jordan, Amanda Sorensen, and Steven Gray
13 How Participation in Citizen Science Projects Impacts Individuals
Rebecca Christoffel

PART III Citizen Science in Practice

14 From Tiny Acorns Grow Mighty Oaks: What We Have Learned
from Nurturing Nature’s Notebook
Theresa M. Crimmins, LoriAnne Barnett, Ellen G. Denny, Alyssa H. Rosemartin,
Sara N. Schaffer, and Jake F. Weltzin
15 Citizen Science at the Urban Ecology Center: A Neighborhood Collaboration
Jennifer Callaghan, Beth Fetterley Heller, Anne Reis-Boyle, Jessica L. Orlando,
and Timothy L. V. Vargo
16 Driven to Discover: A Case Study of Citizen Science as a Springboard
to Science Learning
Andrea Lorek Strauss, Karen Oberhauser, Nathan J. Meyer, and Pamela Larson Nippolt
17 Challenges of Forest Citizen Involvement in Biodiversity Monitoring
in Protected Areas of Brazilian Amazonia
Pedro de Araujo Lima Constantino
18 Documenting the Changing Louisiana Wetlands through Community-Driven
Citizen Science
Shannon Dosemagen and Scott Eustis
19 Reef Check California: Scuba-Diving Citizen Scientists Monitor Rocky
Reef Ecosystems
Jan Freiwald and Andrew Beahrs

References
Index