Implementing a Successful Citizen Science Effort

Target Audience:

Anyone who is using citizen science data or is developing or enhancing a citizen science program for educational and/or natural resource decision making purposes.

Summary and Objectives:

Are you curious about how the Service uses citizen science to support our mission? Are you aware of the benefits citizen science projects provide to science and outreach programs? This course addresses these topics, and more! Regardless of where you are in your citizen science efforts - planning your first project, expanding an existing program, using citizen science data to make natural resource decisions or to enhance educational outreach programming - this course is for you! This distance learning course is offered by live, instructor-led webinars (WebEx) and accompanied by an on-line classroom (Moodle). Participants start, end, and progress through the course together and with course instructors.

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Identify one resource management issue and one target audience to address that will support the Service's mission and priorities.
• Develop one question you'd like to answer via citizen science; * Explain how to strategically blend science and outreach via citizen science.
• Explain how the Paperwork Reduction Act and Personally Identifiable Information impacts citizen science.
• Address how citizen science research/data is valid and trustworthy.
• Draft one Individual Plan to assist you in implementing citizen science at your site.

Competency Addressed: 

Creativity and Innovation - Basic, Stakeholder Management - Basic, Leveraging Diversity - Awareness, Partnering - Basic, Scientific (Technical) Credibility - Awareness