As 2022 draws to a close, we’re looking back at a year filled with exploration and engagement, made possible by our growing network of more than 150,000 members. More than 500 citizen science projects were added to SciStarter in 2022 alone. This reflects the growing need for scientists to collaborate with the public to answer […]

  Citizen science is powered by millions of  unsung people from all backgrounds who are curious and motivated to make a difference.  SciStarter wants to sing their praces. After nearly a decade of grassroots, bootstrapping, and volunteering efforts, SciStarter is in a position to support others in our wake. In an effort to do this, […]

Looking for a special gift for the citizen science lover in your life? You’ve come to the right place! In this podcast, we share expert picks for over a dozen unique gifts your friends and family will enjoy while they help scientists conduct important research. Listen: https://citscipod.podbean.com/e/scistarter-holiday-gift-guide-live/ Projects and websites featured in this episode include: […]

Listen to the podcast: https://citscipod.podbean.com/e/the-great-north-american-fungiquest/ Thousands of mycophiles took to the forest in October to document as many mushrooms as they could, as part of the first annual Great North American FungiQuest. In this podcast, we spoke with Robert Courteau, project creator and also founder of the non-profit group Think Fungi. Projects and other links […]

This fall, between September 15 and October 15, more than 30,000 volunteers combed through forests, fields and even their own backyards in search of the humble mushroom. They were participating in the Great North American FungiQuest, a massive bioblitz that aimed to find and identify as many fungi as possible in the span of just […]

In the United States, it is estimated that more than one million vertebrate animals are killed by vehicle collisions every day. Yet, despite the ubiquity of roadkill, there is actually little comprehensive data on how many animals are killed by cars every year. The U.S. has no national database for roadkill, and most states don’t […]

Data literacy is someone’s ability to understand and interpret data. In today’s world, we encounter data everywhere. Our smartphones, cars and TVs collect and gather data from us when we use them, and we collect and gather data every time we make a decision. We base our decisions on the data we can interpret: choosing […]

With forests being wiped out worldwide by climate change, deforestation, pests and plagues, trees need all the help they can get. In this episode of the SciStarter podcast, we learn about three citizen science projects that monitor and protect trees. Also, with gift-giving season right around the corner, Bob also shares a few of his […]

In this month’s SciStarter podcast, we’re heading back to school to see how teachers and even college professors are making citizen science a part of their classroom instruction. Participating in real science conducted by actual researchers can make science lessons come alive for students at all grade levels. Education leaders in Florida, North Carolina and […]

Fungi serve an invaluable role in our ecosystem. They provide humans and a huge variety of insects and animals with top notch nutrition, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. They are the decomposers of our ecosystem and they provide us with medicine. They raise our bread, turn grain into beer, grapes into wine […]