Volunteers involved in citizen science programs have helped conservation organizations, academics, and land managers collect information about the natural environment for over a century. Citizen science programs refer to research collaborations between scientists and volunteers that expand opportunities for scientific data collection while also providing access to scientific information for community members (http://www.birds.cornell.edu/citscitoolkit). Citizen science programs may be appropriate for supporting research questions that are long-term and/or large-scale in nature, requiring significantly more data than a single researcher or small research team could compile. To date, long-term data collected by citizen scientists has provided evidence about species distribution as well as identified some impacts climate disruption has had on wildlife. Moving forward, as the pace of large-scale ecosystem change increases, data collected by citizen scientists will continue to grow in importance. (Excerpt from FrogWatch USA)
Programs Offered by South Mountain Conservancy:
SMC offers training and organizes data collection throughout SMR for both individuals and small groups. We also offer school visits and general group training for those that want to learn more about citizen science or collect data elsewhere. Although groups can be trained together, it should be noted that when collecting field data, for both FrogWatch USA and Nestwatch, it is most appropriate to be in groups of 5 or less so that the behaviors of the frogs and birds are not disrupted.
SMC Pollinator Meadow Project
Join us as we transform an acre of South Mountain Reservation grass into an enchanting pollinator meadow. Native Wildflower Meadows benefit the environment by providing a native flowering habitat for a diverse population of pollinators, host plants for butterfly caterpillars, and an overwintering habitat.
SMC Pollinator Meadow Restoration Project Goals and Key Activities
● Transform a 1-acre plot of a traditionally mowed turf field into a native pollinator meadow in collaboration with local experts, organizations and community partners;
● Create and manage habitat for native NJ bees, butterflies, moths, and birds;
● Increase pollinator biodiversity and populations; and
● Create education and citizen science opportunities in the meadow and adjacent areas once the meadow is established.
FrogWatch USA (ages 12+) Active February-August
FrogWatch USA volunteers learn to identify local frog and toad species by their calls during the breeding season and how to report their findings accurately. By mastering these skills, volunteers gain increased experience and control over asking and answering scientific questions which, in turn, augments science literacy, facilitates conservation action and stewardship, and increases knowledge of amphibians. Becoming a volunteer is simple, and you do not need to be an expert on frogs and toads to participate.
South Mountain Conservancy (SMC) offers free training and oversight to volunteers looking to monitor within South Mountain Reservation. Upon successful completion of training, individuals and/or groups of 5 or less will be assigned to a site for the breeding season. Volunteers are expected to visit and report data a minimum of 4 times during the breeding season (February-August), and report general findings to the SMC Citizen Science Coordinator. This is a great opportunity for students who are interested in field work, expanding knowledge for college applications, and contributing to a national data base.
Training occurs in early February and data collection begins in early March. SMC currently runs this program in partnership with Cora Hartshorn Arboretum and Bird Sanctuary.
NestWatch (ages 5+) Coming Soon!
NestWatch is a citizen science program designed to track status and trends in the reproductive biology of birds across the United States, including when nesting occurs, number of eggs laid, how many eggs hatch, and how many hatchlings survive. These observations are added to a continually growing database that is used by researchers to study birds. The NestWatch database houses over 450,000 observations from more than 150,000 nests, representing over 37,500 hours of volunteer effort! While contributing extremely valuable information to science, NestWatch volunteers also learn firsthand about birds and form a lifelong connection with the natural world.
SMC will provide free training and oversight to participants interested in monitoring established nests and boxes within South Mountain Reservation. Upon successful training, certified NestWatchers will be assigned a nest for the nesting season and expected to visit every 3-4 days, report their findings online and to SMC Citizen Science program coordinator.
This is a great program for families that want to engage younger children in the natural world as well as individuals interested in field work.
If you or your group are interested in volunteering with FrogWatch USA or NestWatch, contact citizenscience@somocon.org. Private trainings are available upon request for school groups and clubs.