FieldScope

Hoorah! The new version of FieldScope has launched! Mobile-friendly, enhanced tools and visualizations for participants in #CitizenScience projects. Thank you @azavea and the many projects that have informed our design @zoos_aquariums @PBudBurst @Inquirium @GLOBEatNight

@YoPros4Wildlife It was great to hear from all the panelists on this #citscichat !! I look forward to more! Thank you for the thoughtful Qs.

Thank you to all of our wonderful panelists today! It was great to hear all of your perspectives on #citizenscience and #wildlife #conservation #awareness! #CitSciChat

@YoPros4Wildlife A11. Oh my!! Hopefully it looks like people of all ages being scientifically literate and engaged en masse in the observation and stewardship of our planet and all its inhabitants. Utopic, I know :-) I think sensor and AI tech will be fabulous, too. And VR/AR! :-) #citscichat

Q11. What do you want #citizenscience to look like fifty years from now? #wildlife #conservation #citsci #CitSciChat

@YoPros4Wildlife A10. People engage people! Having the right “teacher” as a #citsci program lead, teacher, parent etc. Also the design of the tools and platforms matters. Use good interface and tool #design to keep hooking someone’s curiosity and their desire to contribute and learn more.

Q10. Do #citizenscience projects actually engage people and foster a sense of curiosity in youth? #wildlife #conservation #CitSciChat #citsci

@YoPros4Wildlife A9(b). Our tools provide projects with a tool set to allow project leads and participants to visualize and analyze data in interesting ways. The tools help those involved make meaning of the data.

@YoPros4Wildlife A9. #visual - think easy to read and access maps and graphs. Translating results into other forms, like artistic representations and video stories. Translating the science and findings into compelling narratives. Sharing back with the community as often as possible.

Q9. What are best practices for disseminating results for both small, local projects and large, global scale projects? #citizenscience #CitSciChat #citsci #wildlife #conservation

@YoPros4Wildlife A8. If it’s a global phenomenon, I think it makes sense to go big! In a global community like @inaturalist you can carve out your own local projects. With our platform, we have examples of projects that are global and local and everything in between!

Q8. Is it more effective to conduct smaller, local #citizenscience projects or large, #global projects to achieve a #conservation goal? #wildlife #CitSciChat #citsci

@YoPros4Wildlife A7. Absolutely I do! Our tools are becoming better (digital platforms like ours, sensors technologies, AI, etc) and as a field we are learning more about how to best support participants in producing quality data. I think it’s only going up from here. It’s exciting!

Q7. Do you foresee #citizenscience becoming more accepted in the scientific #community as a rigorous way to collect data? Why or why not? #wildlife #CitSciChat #citsci

@YoPros4Wildlife A6 - Fun! A #citizenscience project needs to be fun or rewarding - ideally both. How can the whole process or participation be fun. Or if it is something with more of a serious social or environmental justice aim, how can it also be rewarding - seeing the impact of the work, etc.

Q6. What elements of #citizenscience are essential for every project? #wildlife #citsci #CitSciChat

@YoPros4Wildlife @zoos_aquariums In this case, their model of supporting chapter out of zoos and nature centers across the country and chapters in turn supporting participants with training and a sense of community has been crucial. #frogwatch #amphibians

@YoPros4Wildlife Q5 - #frogwatch from AZA @zoos_aquariums has trained thousands of participants to connect with local wetlands to report on frog and toad calls. Their goal was to get a baseline of amphibians and to track population trends. Over 130,000 frog and toad calls have been recorded!

Q5. Tell us about a project that was particularly successful at achieving its goals. Why was it so? #CitSciChat #citsci #CitizenScience #wildlife #conservation

@geo_annieph @YoPros4Wildlife @SciStarter has great tools for this!!

@YoPros4Wildlife A4. Girl Scouts working with SciStarter on the “Thinking Like A Citizen Scientist” badges is a great model that works anywhere. Scout troops choose a project that interests them, and they can participate in science in new ways. scistarter.com/girlscouts/info #SciStarter

Q4. How do we increase #Diversity in #CitizenScience projects? #CitSciChat #conservation #wildlife

@YoPros4Wildlife Q4b - Ideally all projects would have a communication and outreach strategies and goals aimed at broadening participation. There is such an opportunity to go beyond the typical audiences to bring more people into science.

@YoPros4Wildlife Q4 - Again, meeting people where they are at. I think you need to be intentional about which new audiences you want to connect with and then really consider what meeting them where they are at looks like.

@MichelleToshack @YoPros4Wildlife @AdvScientists And now more than ever community building in digital spaces can fill real social-emotional needs we have as humans. Go #citizenscience !

Q3. How do we encourage #Participation from people who typically wouldn’t be interested? #CitSciChat #conservation #wildlife

@geo_annieph @YoPros4Wildlife There is a world of life ALL around us. Good idea with @inaturalist

@YoPros4Wildlife A3. In school-based bioblitz programs using iNaturalist, middle school students quickly dig deep into exploring outdoors and find the wild creatures they don’t typically have a chance to look for. The few kids that hold back thinking they’re not into it eventually are.

@geo_annieph @YoPros4Wildlife Ohh, yes! Definitely this. Support curiosity at home AND at school. And everywhere!

@YoPros4Wildlife Get young people starting early. Parents might say “my child doesn’t like insects,” but then their kid goes straight for the insects and they want to know more. Getting hands-on with families is amazing- parents get to learn too and that feeds a family culture of curiosity.

@YoPros4Wildlife Q3 - Meet them where they are at and demonstrate the need - why do you need this data? How is it important to you and why should they care? I think people are often willing to help but you need to make a clear ask of them.

@YoPros4Wildlife We are building more tools over time to help with this, since our platform powers citizen science project communities.

@YoPros4Wildlife Making sure you have a good plan for engaging with participants. Know how you will communicate and show contributors that they are valued. And of course a good study design that will get you the data you want AND that volunteers can be successful with.

Q2. What's the most challenging aspect of creating a #CitizenScience #CitSci project? #CitSciChat